Elle
by answersflyonangelwings
Summary: Elle's father has died and to support her sisters and step-mother, she takes a job as royal tutor. Little did she know that her life would change dramatically because of that choice. Loosely based on Cinderella.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

I was three years old when my mother died. As improbable as it sounds, I remember that day and the days following it clearly. I do not have a great memory, and probably never will, but there are those instances that remain imprinted in one's mind.

My mother was the most important person in my young life, and my favorite. When she became ill, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to play the mother while she was the child, and I tried to care for her like she would if I was sick. Our cook and nurse for family sicknesses did not know what she had and called for the doctor. By then I had realized that mother was worse than I had originally thought. Our cook was as good as any doctor, sometimes even better, and had a pride so large it could smother any stranger walking by him. He would not willingly call the doctor unless it was serious to the extreme.

The doctor took one look at my mother and announced that there was nothing to be done. Her one sparkling blue eyes were faded and dim, her luxurious red-brown hair was brittle and plastered to her thin face. Her face was sallow, her shoulders and fingers frail. I had hidden behind the curtains in her room because the adults would not let me in; the musty smell lingering in my nose as I tried to see past the doctor, nurse, cook, and father. I saw my mother give a last little sigh, and heard my father cry out in anguish. No one had realized I was there until they saw me on top of my mother, shaking her through sobs and cries and yelling at her to wake up to smile and tell me it was a joke.

My mother was gone and my father had suddenly aged ten years. He had new lines around his face made from worry and despair, and his shoulders slumped with an unknown burden. He walked as if forcing himself through a strong wind, slowly and with a lot of effort.

On the day of her burial, I was forced to wear black. I had kicked up a storm, shouting that mother hated black and would not have liked to see me wear it. Mother always told me that bright colors were worn during the day to reflect the beauty of the sun and dark colors at night to reflect the loneliness of the night. It wasn't until years after her death that I realized why I the servants insisted that I wear black.

Mother was dressed in her wedding gown, her red hair brushed to perfection and placed in a halo around her head. She was lying on a mahogany coffin that had fairies carved around it. Father sobbed and said she looked like the day she married, beautiful, young, and alive. She was buried in the family plot. Years later, my father was buried next to her.

After my mother's death, out large house became unnaturally quiet. My father no longer laughed, no longer smiled, and was no longer warm. I gave up trying to snuggle into his lap when I got lonelier than usual, choosing instead to watch the workers in the kitchen move about.

A season after the death of my mother, in early fall, my father came home with a wife. He was not expected for he was away on business, and his arrival caused a stir. I had the righteous rage of a child, choosing not to speak to my father or my new stepmother. After our cook, Eddy, took me in his arms and told me it was better to grow up with a sort of mother than none, I resigned to accepting her as a mother figure. She was the same age as my father, but her appearance suggested she was younger. She had blue eyes, long red hair, a kind, oval face and wore no make-up. She was slender and tall, almost taller than my father. Once I decided to accept her, I realized that I liked her very much. My father also liked her, and for a time, he was happier.

Months passed. When I was almost four years old, my stepmother Arina gave birth to twins. My half-sisters were beautiful and my complete opposites. Ana and Dana had father's blond hair; I had mother's red-brown hair. While theirs became soft and wavy, mine became a curly mess that was impossible to brush. They had stepmother's warm blue eyes while my eyes shifted from brown to green, sometimes staying a murky color. I was of average height and slender. Dana and Ana became tall and statuesque. Ana, short for Analie, was the oldest by three and a half minutes, and Dana, short for Danala, was three and a half inches shorter than Ana. I loved them both the second I saw them from my vantage point behind the curtains, hidden from view but able to see them emerge bloody and small. I was disgusted of course, but I was filled more with love for my two younger siblings.

We grew to be quite a family. My stepmother treated me with the same kindness and love she gave to her daughters, and I learned to love her. I still kept a place in my heart for my real mother, and my stepmother understood that. She never removed any of Mother's portraits, though she had every right to, which made me appreciate her more.

Unfortunately, our happy family did not last long. My father became ill and had no strength to survive the sickness. He died, and we were left with no male head in our house. I was twelve and the girls were eight. Mother (I dropped the "step" when I was six) thought it would be best if my father was buried next to his first wife. I did not object and was relieved that I had such an understanding step-mother. I was depressed at losing two parents, especially after spending so much more time with my father. After his second marriage, he taught me to read and together we would pore over thick and dusty books or thin happy fairytale books. We would lose ourselves in stories about knights and princesses, adventure and romance. Though I disagreed with the concept of damsels in distress, I loved to read the stories anyway. Suddenly he was gone and we had nothing. My father was a lord, but a merchant foremost. He had left enough money to pay our servants and mother's expenses, but that was it. We tried to think of a solution to our money problems, which is how I decided to be a tutor for the high class children. I did not think that I would eventually tutor the royal children themselves, but I guess life's nutty that way.


	2. Chapter 2

**a/n: Sorry for the long wait! I'm not too pleased with this chapter, but hopefully it gets better. **

**Disclaimer: Cinderella doesn't belong to me... Elle and everybody else do.  
**

Chapter Two

After four years of tutoring the young ladies and lords of the high-class, my name reached the ears of their Royal Highnesses, Queen Lelane and King Gilbert. It was hard work at first, to teach the slightly spoiled children of the wealthy. I was twelve and hardly authoritative. Still, the children learned about history, language, culture, math and science, and any other subject I could think of.

Whenever I was done tutoring a student, the family would make quite a fuss about me leaving. I guess children would rather be taught by a younger teacher who understood the needs of playtime than a stuffy adult who didn't. Farewell celebrations would be held for me and I would say goodbye to the children and the slightly tearful parents who couldn't believe their children actually learned something. I would then be shipped off to another family of exasperated parents and resentful children, and once more leave proud parents and educated, teary-eyed children. It was a seemingly endless cycle, but one that I created willingly and with happiness.

The pay went straight to my mother and Eddy, who handled the business of running our home and raising Ana and Dana. I missed them terribly, but Ana and Dana said it was best if I stayed away from the house. I guess Eddy and Mother clashed a lot on what to spend money on. Eddy was dead set on buying ingredients for food and his new dishes while mother was against the idea. She called it "preposterous" to spend so much money on unnecessary food. Eddy disagreed and said it was better to buy food than useless dresses and pillowcases. I guess if I had a choice I would buy books, so I agreed with Dana and Ana and stayed away from the house, choosing instead to write letters.

It came to great surprise when I received a letter not from my family, but from the Royal family. I suppose deep down I thought that they would eventually call on me to tutor their children since I knew most of the nobles in their court, but I had not realized they would call on me so soon. Their own tutor had left to another country and when they heard of me, they decided to meet me to see if I was suitable.

So there I was, at home, on my bedroom floor, hopeless. I had just finished teaching the children of a family who had let me go early because of the letter. They had paid me enough money for the house, but not for a new dress. So now I was supposed to meet their Royal Highnesses in a worn and inked dress. Hardly impressive.

"Oh Elle, stop your moping. The King and Queen want to know if you can teach their children well. They would hardly care how you dress! Besides, you know all the nobles have put in a good word for you!" My mother exclaimed after she had come into the room to see me lying on the ground in mock despair.

"I'm not moping Mother. And you know people tend to judge on looks first and if they find you lacking, they dismiss you as unimportant." I replied, defending myself.

"How utterly ridiculous you are, my dear Ellie!" She said while she bustled around my room. It wasn't very large, but very much my own.

A bed took over much of the space, and it was pushed up against the wide, open window, across from the hallway door. My closet was of a decent size and my things fit in it well enough, though I didn't look in it often. Everything I used usually ended up in neat piles on the ground. The walls were a light golden color that made my room feel warm when the sun streamed in. The floor where I ungracefully sprawled was smooth and made of light wood. I had books piled on all corners of my room, as well as papers and empty ink bottles. It probably wasn't what a young lady's room should look like, but I was anything but ordinary so my mother was okay with it. After making her way around my piles of books, she rummaged inside my closet.

"Mother, are you looking for something?" I asked looking up from my position on the ground.

"Hmm? Oh yes, hold on…Aha! Here it is!" she held up a green dress from behind my closet door. "How do you like this? The girls and I were going to surprise you for your birthday next week, but we decided to give it to you a month early. And don't worry dear, the girls have been saving for it since you began working. Becoming 16 is a big thing you know!" She finished with a wink.

"Mother!" I exclaimed. She handed me the dress, helped me up, and walked out my room with another wink and a wave. I looked at the dress in my hands. It was pretty and simple, just the way I like it. It had a modest neckline and long sleeves. Around the neckline and hem were embroidered fairytale creatures. I looked at it once more and slipped it on after I had removed my other dress. Thankfully no corset was needed, and when I face the mirror I knew the greed dress had just become a favorite. The dress suited me and looked like it was made for me. The creatures could be seen faintly, and the color made my eyes look less murky.

"Ana, Dana!" I yelled. The door burst open and there they were, my beautiful sisters dressed in matching blue dresses and blue hair ribbons. I held my arms open and dramatically said, "Young Maidens, how can I ever repay you? You have saved my life, I thank thee," I bowed and they burst into giggles before racing at me to hug me. With my arms around them I whispered thank you. It was a big thing, what they had done for me, and the best way to express my gratitude was through humor.

"What about me? Oh you ungrateful wretch! I chose the dress!" we looked up and saw Eddy, his mouth forming that mischievous grin of his. He had the habit of joining in on our playacting, which was rather amusing. A grown man pretending to be a princess made playing much more fun. The girls ran to him. Dana wrapped herself on his back while Ana hugged him in front.

"Alright, alright," he said standing up and dropping the girls to the ground gently. "Ellie you carriage is here so you better go, lass." With that he walked over to me and dragged me down the stairs and out the door before I could protest. "You do well, y'hear?" he yelled and waved with my siblings and mother. I had barely climbed onto the simple carriage when the door to the house slammed shut. I looked up to the window and saw the girls, Mother, and Eddy waving goodbye. I waved back before I sat facing forward. Taking a deep breath, I went over everything I knew and the answers I gave at interviews. I straightened my dress and fussed with my curls, praying that my interview would run smoothly.

**Tell me what you think! Reviews are greatly appreciated! **


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Sorry for taking forever! I don't want to get into details, but apparently I actually have less time in the summer. Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter, though it is kinda short!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the story Cinderella, but everything else, including Elle does belong to me!  
**

Chapter Three

When I arrived at the Palace I couldn't believe my eyes. I was handed out of the carriage and was met with an awesome sight. Before me stood the castle in all its glory. I have never seen the castle up close, but now I could see that it was more beautiful than what I could have ever imagined. There were four towers placed around the palace walls. Within the four towers were turrets and huge walls to make the inner palace. Huge windows made up most of it, making it seem glass-like and magical in the rising sun. I could have continued to soak in its beauty, but a rather short and balding man came up to me and interrupted me.

"I take it you're Lady Darielle, the tutor? Yes? Wonderful, right on time. Come this way if you would please. Their highnesses are waiting for you in their Office of Affairs."

He briskly climbed the steps, leaving me to catch up behind him. As I followed him, all thoughts of the pulchritudinous palace flew out my mind. I started to get more nervous and again I went over everything I knew. I vaguely recall having followed the bald man up two flights of stairs, down a narrow hallway, and finally showed into a bright sunlit room.

The bald man, _I needed to find a proper name for him, _gestured me to wait behind him, "Let me introduce you first," he said. I nodded and took in more of the room. Before me was a wide space with three walls, the fourth a large window that allowed the sun to stream in. The walls were tastefully decorated and painted in a soft green that reminded me of a forest in noon. There were two mahogany, but otherwise simple, desks facing each other some feet apart in the center of the room. In the furthest corner were two dark green couches, also facing each other, where two people sat. I immediately took them to be the King and Queen, not just by their crowns but by the way they sat, which makes sense if someone spent enough time with nobility as I did.

"Your Majesties, may I introduce Lady Darielle, the tutor," said the bald man, bowing low and gesturing me forward. I curtsied low as the King and Queen stood and came closer, and stood straight again when they nodded to me in unison. Queen Lelane, a tall, fair-skinned lady with beautiful black hair finally spoke, "Thank you Mr. Tebu that will be all." The bald man, or rather Mr. Tebu, bowed once more and left the room. I was left alone with the rulers of my country and all I could do was try my hardest not to gape while I felt my heartbeat increase.

After what seemed like forever, King Gilbert cleared his throat and motioned for me to sit down on a couch. As we moved to sit I observed the king. He wasn't very tall, Eddy was taller, but confidence made him seem bigger. He was the opposite of the queen, with dark skin and fair hair. Gray touched his temples, his eyes were a light blue, and he had a few lines on his face, but overall he seemed to be in good health and energy like the queen. I sat one they were seated and waited for them to speak.

"So you are the tutor? Well you certainly are younger than I expected!" boomed the voice of the King. His voice startled me. I expected a calming, quieter voice. I nodded timidly then raised my head proudly. It wouldn't do to look meek.

"How many years have you been a tutor Lady Darielle?" asked the Queen loudly, but with a sweet voice.

"About four years, Your Majesty," I responded. Her face was blank, but I thought I saw a flicker of emotion in her deep blue eyes.

"I heard that you tutor the children of the nobility class,"

"Yes that is correct."

"And did those spoiled children behave?" I looked to the King who had asked the question and eagerly replied, "Oh yes! They are not as spoiled as their parents lead you to believe, and I think they rather enjoyed having me around enough to behave. I certainly hope that they learned something those months I taught them," He raised an eyebrow but let the Queen ask the next question.

"Have you taught all the noble families?"

"No, Your Majesty. There may be about five families I missed."

"What age group do you generally teach?" she asked.

"Well, there is no age group really. I get called to teach from five- year- olds to eighteen- year-olds." She looked deeply interested in this, the first type of emotion I saw in her rather diplomatic face.

"Is that difficult?"

"I suppose getting the older kids to listen is, but for the most part the children listen to me." The King looked pleasantly surprised and asked in his loud voice, "What subjects do you teach, young Darielle?"

"I teach anything really, from languages to grammar, maths and sciences, history, and manners." I replied. After fifteen more minutes of questions and answers, the King and Queen asked me to wait in the hallway while they talked. I acquiesced, curtsied, and found myself pacing in the hallway.

_Hopefully everything went well._

**A/n: Hopefully no one is disappointed with Chapter three! Reviews are appreciated! I'll try to make Chapter four longer and uploaded faster.  
**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: This chapter is longer, like I promised! I hope you all like it! **

**Disclaimer: *sigh* I don't own Cinderella, okay? Geez, and my plan to pose as the Grimm Brothers was so good!  
**

Chapter Four

I looked at the children before me and smiled before I dismissed them. Around nine months have passed since that nerve-wracking interview with the King and Queen. They told me after I was accepted for the job that there wasn't much to discuss; I seemed a very capable young tutor and I came with many references.

"_You see dear, many of our court could not stop talking about how well their children learned in your care, and I admit that my children are in sore need of someone capable," the Queen said to me, holding my hands and abandoning the blank look for a smiling face. _

"_Yes, yes! Besides, we must not let other children outsmart my own! Oh no! You must promise to teach them well young lady!" I nodded at the King, speechless of the grand honor given to me as well as the exuberance the King possessed. I really hoped I would get used to it. _

After they welcomed me to my new job, they told me what was expected of me and what I would get from it, which far outweighed the expectations.

"_Right then, you will be living here in the palace of course. You will have the rooms that usually go to the tutor. You will have an office, a classroom, a bedroom, your own bathroom, and a sitting area. Oh and you will have a small part of your rooms dedicated to books and other materials you may need. You will have access to the larger library. If you need anything, ask a servant or come to me immediately. You may choose to dine with us or the servants, or both if you prefer. We are accustomed to sharing meals with our children's tutors but eating with the servants may be refreshing. You will get a set of new attire fit for a person of you status. All of this will, of course, be provided for by us along with you pay, which, I understand, you want for it to be sent to your family. Yes? Very well then. You will also receive a small allowance that will depend on the performance of my children, as well as a free day once a week. _

"_You have two hours with the children in the morning and four more after lunch. You may teach what you will as long as they have a good understanding of politics, language, and a history of our kingdom._

"_You will be teaching Princess Sayble who is ten, Prince Adanoty who is twelve, and the twins, Prince Edric and Princess Elianne, who are fifteen. Crown Prince Eldon is in the Summer Palace taking care of the borders and learning to become King. His father will be with him shortly and come back in a few months, but Eldon won't come home until the following year. _

"_Oh finally the children are here. Come along children. This is your new tutor Lady Darielle." I rose from my seat on the sofa across from Queen Lelane, who had been explaining my new position to me. I curtsied to their young majesties and stood straight once more. _

_We both observed each other in silence. They were very attractive for all their young years. Princess Sayble had thick, long black hair and blue eyes like her mother. She was petite and fair-skinned. Prince Adanoty was stocky, like his father, with brown eyes and hair which contrasted beautifully with his fair skin. Prince Edric was also stocky and fair-skinned, but he had blue eyes and blond hair. His twin, Princess Elianne, was his complete opposite. She was tall like her mother, but was dark-skinned. She had long blond curls and bright green eyes. Despite their differences in height, hair, and eye color, they were clearly siblings. All of them had a similar face structure, with high cheekbones, straight nose, and wide mouth. They had thick eyelashes, even the boys, and finely arched eyebrows. They were straight-backed and had an air of royalty about them. And they all looked at me with the same apprehensive and semi-reproachful face. _

"_Good morning, Your Majesties," I said, and curtsied once more. My observation of them took a few seconds, but the icy looks they gave me seemed to take forever. _

_One of them, Princess Elianne, said, "Good morning Lady Darielle." The rest of them nodded and waited for their mother to say something. _

"_Now that we are acquainted with each other, I expect that Lady Darielle would like to rest for the day and send a letter to her family. Children, please lead her to her rooms." To me she said, "Your rooms are in the same hallway as the children's." I nodded and followed the children out the door after I curtsied to the Queen again. _

The first time they led me to my rooms, it was in cold silence. I supposed they were not entirely pleased to have a new tutor, but I wouldn't let their forbidding faces put me down. I sent a happy letter to my family and explored my rooms for the rest of the day. Fortunately, the royal children eventually thawed and by the end of the week we were good friends. Well, not in the classroom, for I was still a teacher, but they liked to show me around and tell me who to befriend and who to avoid. They hated one person in particular, which amused me to no end.

"_Oh look! That horrid monster sitting at the center of that group is Lady Piglet," said Elianne, who liked to talk the most. _

_I raised an eyebrow. "Lady Piglet? You're joking!"_

"_No, she's not," defended Adanoty, "She really is a pig!"_

"_Her real name is Lady Pillete, but that's because her parents forgot the g," stated Edric in a matter-of–fact way. _

"_Well, I have to say that's a bit rude. I wonder what nickname you use for me," I said half-joking._

"_Oh don't worry. The worst we ever call you is 'tutor hag', but that's only when you give us extra homework," answered Sayble. "But I never give you extra homework!" I exclaimed. _

"_And now you know not to!" she replied cheekily. _

_I was going to protest when Adanoty interrupted, "Okay, going back to the subject, Piglet is a horrible person Elle."_

"_We don't call people names, but she's an exception," added Edric._

"_I don't understand. Why do you dislike her?" I asked_

"_Because she's mean! I mean sure she looks nice with her blond hair and blue eyes, but you don't know her like we do. She's been after Eldon ever since he turned fourteen and only because he's going to inherit the throne someday. She goes around bossing the servants as if she owned them and tries to get rid of Ladies that hold Eldon's interest. And she called us snot-nosed kids. She deserves her name!" exclaimed Elianne. The others nodded enthusiastically and I half-expected one of them to say,"So there!" and stick out their tongue._

"_Oh no, here she comes! Quick, turn around and walk fast. Pretend you didn't hear her. Walk faster Elle! Oh shoot," Elianne muttered the last part as Lady Pillete caught up with us. _

_I have to admit that I was waiting for a pig snort. Instead she said, "Your Majesties," in a nice voice and curtsied low. I curtsied politely while I watched her through my lashes. She was taller than me, and slender. Her blond hair was piled on her head fashionably, and she wore a modest silk gown. She didn't carry many jewels, only a simple diamond chain on her neck and a single ruby ring on her right hand. She didn't seem like an evil person to me. _

_She looked at me and said, "I don't believe we have met. I am Lady Pillete. And you are…?" _

"_I am Lady Darielle, tutor of the royal children," I answered, nodding to the children. She may have dressed modestly but the children were right, she was mean. She had raised her nose at this last comment and sniffed with what I thought was disdain. _

"_Oh how nice. I am sure it is not too hard of a job." She said, lowering her nose. _

"_Not at all. Forgive me, but you have reminded me that the children and I must get back to the classroom." I nodded at her and left ahead of the children, who sighed in relief behind me. _

_As we walked, the children continued to speak nasty things about Lady Pillete. _

"_You know," I said, "You are really sounding like her. I suggest that you show her how real people act by not being mean to her. She'll start to feel guilty and not as superior." Their protests stopped by the time I finished._

I came back from memory lane when I heard shrieks coming from the royal children. As they were leaving the classroom, they passed the windows, which were the source of their excited shrieks. I went to them and peered out to see what had them so happy when Sayble yelled, "He's back! Eldon's back!"

The crown prince has returned.

**A/N: Hope you liked it! Reviews are appreciated! **


	5. Chapter 5

**A/n: Sorry for the long wait! This chapter is not a favorite, and is rather short, but I hope you enjoy it all the same! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Cinderella, but Elle and Eldon are mine!  
**

Chapter Five

Prince Edric led his siblings out of my classroom, shouting as they all ran to greet their brother. I lingered around the window to catch a glimpse but his party had already passed from underneath. Instead of following the children, I went to the kitchens for lunch. I was sure the royal family would like some privacy and that they would summon me if they needed me.

The kitchens were in chaos when I arrived. Apparently there was to be a banquet that night to celebrate the Crown Prince's arrival, which meant a lot of cooking.

"Honestly, the nerve of that man! Waltzes back into the castle as if he owns it—stir it the other way you imbecile! —and now I'm expected to make dinner_ as well as lunch—_no, not the duck! That's for later!_ — _and with workers who don't know a knife if it stabbed them in an eye much less how to make the simplest of foods!" The head cook, Linda, was muttering under her breath as she prepared lunch while ordering the kitchen staff around, her knife waving around in the air like a flag.

"I think he does own the castle, Linda," I said, putting on an apron and grabbing a knife from the counter to chop vegetables.

"Humph, he could've at least given warning about being here for dinner!" she retorted.

I grinned to myself and shook my head. She was a real comfort when I started to tutor at the palace. Upon meeting me she set me to work, ignoring my protests of not being a kitchen maid. I wasn't too upset; working in the kitchen was something I did since I was young. It was soothing to be in a kitchen with people shouting and yelling and waving knifes around while they set about making food. It was nice to know that no matter where you were, all people needed food and generally all kitchens were the same, loud and full of life. I didn't feel lonely but useful. What I also loved about the kitchens was the gossip. Now, I don't like meddling in other people's business, but the information I gain can be useful. The gossip from the maids is surprisingly accurate, and because of their sharp ears and sharper tongues, I know which noble men to avoid and what areas not to go near when the hour for escapades arrives. A lot of the information is cringe-worthy, and I really wonder how the maids know all.

"Of course Their Majesties weren't happy, you nit! The prince goes and insults his gonna be-bride! Near tragedy it is!" exclaimed a scullery maid to her companion.

"…gonna be a disaster, lemme tell you, gone done and ruined his poor mother's heart!" whispered the butcher to another maid while dropping off the meat for tonight.

"I heard the king is gonna pass the crown to Prince Edric or Princess Elianne! You know what that means, crown prince will have to leave in disgrace," said the second head cook, shaking his head empathetically.

Just as my curiosity and patience couldn't last much longer and I was opening my mouth to ask them what they meant about Prince Eldon, a messenger came scurrying in to ask Linda my whereabouts. As she was in the middle of another of her rants, she nodded towards me and continued chopping.

"Lady Darielle, you are needed straight away," gasped the messenger. I raised an eyebrow and started to undo my apron. "No, no, no! You have no time. Go, run to the office of Their Majesties," he shouted, pushing me towards the door.

I looked back once to see the messenger fall back on the stool I was on before hurrying out the door.

It was unlike the King or Queen to summon me so abruptly without giving me time to compose myself. I was thinking about this rather hard that it came as a surprise when I bumped somebody. I didn't have time to help the person up, so I shouted over my shoulder, "Sorry!" as I ran around the corner to the hallway of the office.

Outside the door, I shook out the flour in my hair and apron that somehow came to rest on me. I took a breath, calmed my heart, and knocked on the door.

"Aah, Lady Darielle, please join us," said the Queen from her position on the far couch.

I curtsied and sat down on a chair across from them, looking expectant. "We are sorry to call you so suddenly, Lady Darielle, but this is an urgent matter. As you well know, Crown Prince Eldon arrived." I nodded at her, but she didn't elaborate.

"Where's that boy of mine?" shouted the King crossly after a minute of silence.

"Hush dear, he'll be here shortly," to me, the Queen said, "We want to introduce you to Eldon today. We called him to meet us here."

"Why is it important that I meet Crown Prince Eldon today?" I asked Queen Lelane.

King Gilbert and Queen Lelane shared a look before she answered, "That's not important right now Darielle." She looked at her watch, sighed, and then said, "Unfortunately we cannot be here for the meeting. We were hoping to at least introduce you to each other, but we have pressing business. He knows he is to meet the Royal tutor, so please wait here for him." At that the King and Queen rose in unison and left the room before I had a chance to say anything.

I shrugged my shoulders. One couldn't really go against Royal orders. I stood up to take off the apron and dust myself off properly when the door burst open.

In walked whom I assumed to be Prince Eldon. He was tall, about 6''2 and very tan. His hair was jet-black and curlier than even my hair. He had blue eyes and a face similar to his siblings: long lashes, high cheekbones, and arched eyebrows. His nose was crooked, which was odd compared to the rest of his family. He certainly was handsome, but that was expected. What I was not expecting was the glare he sent to me.

"Well?" he growled, "Where is this Lady Darielle, maid?" he asked me, "I suppose she thinks herself fashionable to be late. She's probably primping in her room, awaiting a personal invitation! I cannot believe Mother hired a dim-witted _girl_ as a tutor!" I raised my eyebrows in disbelief. He believed me to be the maid! Considering my attire, I did not blame him, but he was being rather rude.

"Excuse me Your Highness; I shall get her straight away!" I responded. Before he could say anything, I turned around. I removed the apron, dusted me dress off, and shook my hair out. After I was satisfied, I turned once more to face Prince Eldon.

"Your Highness, I am Lady Darielle," I said, curtsying.

**a/n: I hope you liked it! I promise to review faster! If i don't, you have my blessing to send me hate mail. Faster does not equal one day later, though. Please wait at least a week. And please, please review! **


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: As promised, the next chapter of my story. I hope you all enjoy it! After this, the story picks up pace. **

**Disclaimer: No, I do not own the story Cinderella, but I'm pretty sure I own Elle and Eldon.  
**

Chapter Six

He looked at me blankly. Again, I said, "It is a pleasure to meet you, Prince Eldon. I am the Royal Tutor, Lady Darielle."

His reaction was instantaneous, "Ha! You, the tutor? I suppose she is having a real laugh at me by sending her maid in her stead. Where is she? I cannot wait here all day! Go get her, and stop by the kitchens to bring me a treat." He waved his hand, dismissing me.

"Clearly your time away from the Palace has not been beneficial if you cannot recall your manners," I said, "I am not a maid, thank you very much. I am Lady Darielle, Tutor of the Princesses Sayble and Elianne, and their brothers the Princes Adanoty and Edric. I am here because Their Royal Majesties the King and Queen have called me to meet you. I talked with them minutes before you arrived, and I am sure you can still reach them to confirm my identity. Of course, that would mean taking away the time they need for their affairs, but it is as you wish Prince Eldon."

His shocked face turned to anger towards the end of my speech. He looked at me closely and I pointed to the insignia on the collar of my dress that all Royal tutors wore on their clothes. Realization dawned on his face and I smiled smugly in my head. My outwards appearance was polite and calm. I curtsied again, waiting for a response.

He bowed, and stiffly replied, "There will be no need to contact my parents. I ask for your forgiveness, Lady Darielle. It appears that I was too hasty in judging you. " His response did not seem sincere at all. I suppose that as Royalty, you can get away with pretty much anything and still require courtesy from the lower classes. I exhaled, reminding myself not to say what I really wanted to say.

"Oh no, Your Highness, it was my fault for coming to meet you in such inappropriate clothing. Please, forgive me," I said behind a fake smile.

"Yes of course," he said, "but why exactly were you dressed like that? No doubt my parents provided a more than reasonable pay so you may dress according to your status."

I blinked. "I was in the kitchen helping the Head Cook with lunch and dinner, Your Highness."

"Oh, so you are also a kitchen maid? I thought so,"

Through clenched teeth I replied, "Not at all, Your Highness. Your siblings were dismissed for the day and as today there is to be a feast in your honor, I thought I could be of some help downstairs." I tried my hardest not to glare at him. He stood in front of me acting all-important and trying to lower my status. I didn't care for it much, but it is still frustrating to be seen less than what I am.

He moved forward to sit on the couch before me, and waved me to sit down on my chair. He slouched on his seat, making me grind my teeth together. He looked at me and raised an eyebrow. I fancied the idea that he was challenging me and that I should say something, but banished the irresistible thought from my head.

"So I don't suppose you know why we have to meet each other today?" he asked me after a few minutes of awkward silence.

"No, I do not know. Their Majesties did not elaborate."

"Hmm. Well, as we introduced each other, I expect it is alright for you to leave."

"As you wish, Crown Prince Eldon," I rose from my seat, curtsied, and left. As soon as I closed the door I sighed a breath of relief. Prince Eldon was certainly not like his siblings, who were charismatic, proper, and nice. Thinking back on it, my first meeting with the Royal children was rather awkward. Perhaps they have a need to scare off any who are not brave enough to be around them in their good days or bad. Still, they have never treated me in the manner of their elder brother.

I shrugged again. What did I know about how Royal Princes were supposed to act? I turned around the corner of the hallway and bumped into someone for a second time today. I looked up to see King Gilbert looking at me in a bemused manner.

I curtsied, "Forgive me Your Majesty. It was not my intention to bump into you."

"I should hope not!" he said, chuckling. He stopped and looked at me again, "Should you not be with Crown Prince Eldon, Darielle?"

"He dismissed me Your Majesty. We met, but as we did not know what to do next he told me to leave."

"Hmm. Very well, you shall meet with him again tomorrow during the lunch hour!" He bellowed in that loud way of his.

"Yes Sir. As you wish," I curtsied and continued down the short hallway. I heard the King turn around the corner behind me and open the door to his office. I was about to shrug again but stopped myself. It appeared that if I was not curtsying, I was shrugging. Soon my back and shoulders would grow big muscles if I was not careful.

The following morning turned out to be quite a horrendous day.

It started out simple enough. I went over the importance of turning in the bit of class work I hand out on time with the children. We argued for a bit, which is normal. I gave a lecture of the first king of our kingdom, Aberlea. Princess Elianne led a discussion on the importance of her ancestor, and Princess Sayble and her brother Adanoty made a family tree.

At lunch time I received a message that said I was invited to the Crown Prince's sitting room for lunch, with King Gilbert and Queen Lelane. I left the sunny classroom after the children had gone. I went into my room to check that I was properly dressed for lunch. I decided to keep the dress I was wearing on, my favorite one from my sisters that I had received a year before. It was a little worn, but very nice and perfect for my status. My hair was in a long red plait down the back of my head, and the insignia of Royal Tutor was shining brightly on my collar.

I reached the Prince's sitting room door and smoothed my dress before I knocked. A second later a maid I knew as Asana opened the door. She curtsied to me and moved aside to let me in. I nodded at her and raised an eyebrow in form of an unspoken question. She answered by rolling her eyes and sighing. I nodded again and she waved at me to continue forward.

The room was of a medium size. Two sofas where set up across from each other, a small table sitting in between. The large window was open to let the sun in, and was in between the two sofas as well. By a fireplace at the corner nearest the door were two comfortable-looking chairs. The carpet was plush and deep red with a gold trimming. The sofas were a deep golden color with red embroidery. The curtains were also trimmed with gold thread, but were sheer instead of thick and heavy.

Overall, the room screamed masculinity for all its finery. The colors were too dark, from the wood to the decorations, and the embroidery not as delicate as the female rooms.

Sitting on one sofa were the King and the Queen, both dressed simply and in earnest conversation with their son. Prince Eldon was sitting across from them, elbows resting on his knees as he leaned forward to listen, hands folded under his chin.

As soon as I stepped into view, all three stopped talking and rose to greet me. I stopped and curtsied deeply as they nodded regally.

"Good morning, Darielle. We were just waiting for you. Please sit next to Eldon here so we can explain the situation," said Queen Lelane. She dismissed Asana while I sat on the sofa next to the Prince who was pointedly ignoring me. I made sure there was at least a foot between us, not wanting to be near him. I was a bit confused as to why they needed me here.

"Lady Darielle," boomed the king, catching my attention, "as you may or may not know, the Prince was arranged to marry someone this year." I nodded slowly, trying to figure out where this was going.

"Well, that plan did not quite work," continued Queen Lelane, ignoring the snort from the Prince. "This is not a good thing. Crown Prince Eldon must marry soon so that we may train his wife to be a proper Queen for this kingdom. Originally, you were hired to not only teach the royal children, but to train the Prince's fiancé in the ways of the court as well as the history of our kingdom, among things."

"But now the boy has gone and ruined these plans," bellowed the King, glaring at Prince Eldon. The Prince looked away disinterestedly, staring intently at his fingernails.

"Yes, we were quite at a loss on what to do but," she looked at her husband sideways, "we think we may have a solution." At this Prince Eldon sat up straight in surprise. His mother smiled at him briefly before continuing.

"We have found another use for you, Darielle," she said. "You will give Prince Eldon a few lessons in manners, but you also have the choice to save this kingdom." Now I was looking at her with my head tilted, trying to understand what she was saying.

"What do you mean Your highness?" I asked.

"You are the perfect solution." She stated simply.

"Perfect solution to what mother?" asked Prince Eldon, impatience leaking in his voice.

"We want you to marry Crown Prince Eldon."

**a/n: Hope you all liked it! Sorry about the cliffy, it was the best stopping point :) Reviews are always appreciated! (and they make me feel like sunshine and rainbows inside)**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/n: To my lovely readers, the newest chapter to what I hope is a good story! A thanks for all my reviewers, your comments make me really happy! I hope you all enjoy it! **

**Disclaimer: After 6 chapters I'm sure you have all gotten the idea that I, unfortunately, do not own Cinderella.  
**

Chapter Seven

"I…..I….what?" I was in shock. No words could come out of my mouth, and actually, no words were able to form in my mind. I was in shock, and the Prince in denial.

"HAhahahahahaha…! Oh mother, father, you both almost got me there! Married! To her? What a good joke!" he chortled, wiping tears from his eyes and clutching his stomach.

The King looked at us both before looking at his wife. "This is no joke, Prince Eldon. You will marry Lady Darielle, and you will show a happy face!" He boomed. Prince Eldon gaped at his father and then glared at me, as if I was to blame for the news.

The Queen's words processed through my mind fully and surprised all sense of decorum out of it. "Excuse me? I am _not_ going to marry your son! I am a tutor! A _TUTOR_! How in the world am I suitable to marry a Prince? A _Crown _Prince no less! As in, future king! Forgive me Your Majesties, but you must be out of your minds!" I cried out.

The Prince, who had nodded along to what I was saying, continued, "Exactly! That must be it! You are both crazy. Besides, you cannot force me to marry this wrench. It is my life! I shall marry who I wish. I am to be the future king after all!" he had stood up as he shouted, and remained in place, arms at his side, hands clenched, and breathing quickly.

The Queen stood up, blue eyes narrowed and blazing, nostrils flaring, and chin raised proudly. "My son, you shame me. I could very well slap your face for calling dear Elle a wrench, and even more so for that tone you are taking with me. Elle, dear, I know this must be a shock for you, so I will forgive you for talking to us in such a way," I blushed, "but you both may remember that we are the rulers of this country, like it or not. As such, I am not asking you to marry her son, I am commanding you. Because you will be king, you do not have the pleasure of choosing your own wife. Or rather you did, but you failed and left us no choice but to intervene for the sake of the kingdom. So sit down and listen. I want both of you to listen.

"Elle, I will not force you to marry our son, but I beg you to keep your mind open for what I have to say. You are a capable girl. You are smart, and wise. You know most of the nobles and are familiar with the common folk. My children admire you, and I believe that you can become a great ruler. Your intelligence will become invaluable, and you will make a better companion and partner for my son than any other girl. We want you to marry our son because we trust you with him, our family, and most importantly, our kingdom. You are not greedy, not power hungry, and because your instant reaction to our news was rejection, we know you are the best suited for this life.

"It is no easy choice, but rest assured that if you marry the Prince, your family will never have any problems and your sisters may grow up to be young, respectable ladies and marry whomever they chose, and not because your family is in need of money. Please think reasonably about this Elle." She said to me, her blue eyes pleading at me.

I wanted to tell her that I wanted to marry for love. I wanted to tell her that my job was enough income for my family. I wanted to tell her that such a big responsibility was not for me. But I knew those were foolish wants. What she said made sense, and for my family I would do anything.

But could I marry a Prince who has been outright rude to me since the first instant we met? I looked over at him and nearly yelped in fright. He was glaring at me and his parents. A scowl was on his face, and his strong arms were crossed tightly against his chest. His sapphire eyes were burning in anger, burning at me. His jaw was clenched tightly, making his face seem sharper.

I looked away. He certainly was good-looking, even in his anger, but to marry him? Marriage meant that children were expected and I gulped at the thought. How could marrying someone so hateful lead to a happily ever after? I could imagine it now. It would be a long and lonely life. He would be out with prettier girls, or even the scullery maid, while I poured over financial problems or diplomatic solutions to avoid war. There would be balls and celebrations, but I would be the premature-looking Queen, glaring at her King while he wooed beautiful maidens. That was hardly a promising future.

But then I thought about my mother and sisters. About Eddy, who would be able to buy as many foreign ingredients as he wished and become extremely famous for his creations. Mother would be able to buy all the fabric in the world and decorate the house however she wished, or buy a new home, and maybe even remarry. The girls could have their choice of gowns and jewelry. They would be able to travel wherever they wished, attend balls in high fashions, and meet someone that steals their heart. The other servants could retire with the money I would be able to give them in gratitude for their loyalty this past decade, and no one would ever go to sleep hungry again.

I weighed my happiness and the happiness of my family.

"Very well, I shall marry Crown Prince Eldon." I said calmly and decisively.

"Thank you. We were hoping you would make this choice," Queen Lelane said happily, clapping her hands together.

"What I want to understand is how you are going to convince the nobles and the common folk that Lady Darielle will marry me. She is a lowly noble, not high enough to please the rich and not low enough to please the poor. Both classes will no doubt protest such a union," said Prince Eldon, smiling smugly.

"I agree. I want to know how that is going to work. Rulers or no, the people have more power in these things, especially the commoners." I said, hands clasped in my lap and hoping that Queen Lelane had no solution.

"Oh that is simple. The majority of the nobility admire Elle for working so hard for her family and succeeding, and know her intimately enough that they are certain she is capable of anything. True, she is not a higher noble, but she does have a title and that is enough. Besides, their children love Elle, and will be pleased with my choice. " I frowned. What she said was true and made sense.

She continued, "As for the commoners, that too is an easy solution. They are simple-minded folk, but all love a good romance story. So what we shall do is have a royal ball in two weeks, where any young lady of whichever status may attend. It shall be a masked ball, and Eldon will pretend to meet you, Elle, for the first time. You will not want to reveal who you really are for fear that he will reject you or make things awkward once the ball is over and you are back to teaching. Both of you will dance the whole night exclusively with one another. When it is late enough, Elle will have to leave the ball, and in the process, lose her shoe. The shoe is important because Eldon, so besotted with his masked beauty, will look for her by trying each shoe on any girl that attended the ball. It is not until he is near despair that he will stumble upon Elle and insist she try on the shoe. He will then realize that Elle is the masked girl and decide to marry her, solving that problem."

We all looked at her in silence.

Prince Eldon finally broke the silence, "Well you certainly thought deeply about this mother," he said, "but is it not too complex? Anything can go wrong. What if the shoe fits another girl? Lady Darielle could hardly be the only woman in the kingdom with her own shoe size."

"You will know who the girl is when you meet her, the shoe just helps eliminate the ones who are definitely not her. You will be so in love you will know," bellowed the King who had been silent for much of our meeting.

"So in love? Really father? This is all too much for me. I am not in love with Lady Darielle, and I highly doubt she is in love with me for all my dazzling good looks." Prince Eldon declared.

"You are not in love with each other, I know, but you must both pretend. It is imperative. You may tell your family the truth, Elle, as we will tell our children, but otherwise let no one know you do not love each other. The plan may fail if the people know the truth, and we have too much at stake if it does. So pretend you love, but make it so believable that we ourselves will doubt if you are acting or not. Understand?" the Queen asked. We both nodded glumly.

"I would prefer it if my family did not know the truth, Your Majesty. They would forbid my marriage if they knew I was doing this for them." I stated.

"Very well," she replied.

King Gilbert and his Queen rose from their seats. "No, no, stay seated," said the Queen as I started to rise from the sofa. "We are going to leave you both now, to sort out some things that need sorting. Farewell," she said as they both walked to the door.

"Behave!" bellowed the King before the door slammed ominously behind him.

I turned my body to face Prince Eldon properly and gulped.

**A/n: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Please review and let me know your thoughts on it! **


	8. Chapter 8

**A/n: So sorry for such a late update! If it is any consolation, know that i was working on the rest of the story. ! I really did mean to post this weeks ago, so forgive me! I hope you like it! **

**Disclaimer: no, i do not own Cinderella from the Grimm Brothers  
**

Chapter Eight

Prince Eldon stood up and began to pace while I remained seated. After a few minutes where the only sounds came from his boots stomping on the thick carpet, he turned to me and gave me an appraising look. "I don't know how you managed to weasel your way into my family, but I can tell you this much, marriage or no, you will have nothing that belongs to me."

"Excuse me? What do you mean 'weasel'. I have less desire to marry you then you to marry me!"I snapped, rising to my feet angrily.

"Uh huh, right. Of course the idea of becoming Queen, having servants, and wearing all the finery in the world is so unappealing! However will you survive?" he asked mockingly.

"Not long if it's a life with you! I wish to marry someone I love, not some pompous fool like you!" His eyes flashed angrily at that, but immediately he assumed a look of boredom.

"Tsk, tsk. Is that any way to speak to your betrothed? It appears they got one thing right about red heads; watch out for their tempers. At least you look decent enough to share a bed with, though I admit it could be more exciting if I get you mad before we do the deed. Speaking of which, I'm sure you have plenty of experience with that sort of thing, to have the Lords of the Court speak so highly of you." My face flushed in rage and I slowly walked towards him. "What did you say?" I asked in a deadly whisper.

"Well it is obvious isn't it? A mere girl cannot go around the court and have good things said about her if it wasn't paid for under sheets."

I slapped him across the cheek, a satisfying crack filling the air as my hand came in contact with his face. The pain in my hand was only slightly bearable, and I cradled it in my chest. He swore loudly and rubbed the blossoming mark on his left cheek.

"You stupid wrench! What was that for?" he asked, anger barely concealing his look of pain.

"It was nothing more than you deserved. When you are ready to treat me like a lady and your future wife, you may come speak to me. Until then stay away from me or beware my cook who is taller, stronger, and has an interesting array of knives ready to use at any who dares to speak to me in such a manner." I turned and slammed the door behind me.

If ever in my life I encounter another man so cruel and presumptuous, I shall not be trusted with good behavior. The urge to wring the Prince's neck for his insulting assumptions was quite strong, and I wasn't sure that I would not act on that urge if I saw him again. Believing I was a maid was one thing, but believing me to go around like…that to people I trusted and liked only as brothers or fathers was another thing entirely.

He was lucky that Eddy did not live in the castle or the Prince would find something missing on his person, something extremely important to men and particularly in Crown Princes in need of heirs. It was just as well that I had sent Mother, Eddy, and my sisters to some of Mother's acquaintances near the ocean. They were in need of vacation, and I was able to give it to them with the good pay I was earning. I don't know that I would've been able to keep my mouth shut over such news if they were here before I had time to get used to the idea.

A week passed in relative quiet. My days were filled with teaching the children and avoiding Prince Eldon at all costs. By meals were no longer taken with the Royal Family, but rather with the kitchen staff. We ate the same food down there because making something less extravagant was a waste of food and time, so I was quite comfortable. My free time was spent in my personal library or helping in the kitchen. My library was about the same size of my room, which wasn't large, and filled with shelves and books. One wall had a large window that was almost as high as the ceiling to let the sun in. There were a couple of chairs, but I liked to lounge about on the long sofa next to the fireplace.

I was on the long sofa, enjoying the heat of the fireplace, when I heard a knock on my door. I rose to get it but stopped when a messenger walked in.

"Lady," he said and bowed. I bowed my head and he continued, "Crown Prince Eldon would like to speak with you. He is right outside the door. Should I let him in or would you like me to send him away with a message?" he asked politely.

I thought about it. "Ask him if I can trust him not to behave like some uncouth barbarian," I replied and continued to read without waiting for a response.

"Ahem." The messenger was by the door again, shifting his feet awkwardly and rubbing his neck.

"Yes?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Crown Prince Eldon promises to be… civil and proper as long as you are civil and proper," he said, trying to keep a straight face.

"Very well, you may let him in," I shut my book and sat properly on the sofa.

The door opened and Crown Prince Eldon swaggered in. For all his show of confidence, his icy eyes were narrowed and his dark curly locks were in disarray, from running his hands through them I would imagine. He was dressed in a rich blue fabric, probably velvet. His tunic was lighter than his leggings and trimmed with gold, as were the top of his black boots. He wore no jewelry save the ring with his crest.

He stopped at the far side of my sofa and bowed. "Lady Darielle." His voice was practically emotionless.

I stood and curtsied, "Crown Prince Eldon, to what do I owe this visit?" I inquired as I sat once more. I waved for him to sit at the chair near the sofa and he took it before answering.

"One reason for my visit is that I have come to apologize. In my anger, I insulted you and acted in a very ungentlemanly manner. You had every right to slap me and shun me of your presence until I was able to be reasonable. Forgive me." The last part he said while staring at me with such intensity that I wanted to gulp and look away. It seemed he was still angry, but if I wanted to move on with my life and his for the sake of the kingdom, forgiveness was in order.

"I forgive you Prince Eldon. I too ask for forgiveness, I should not have slapped you." He waved away my apology. We sat in awkward silence for a minute before I could stand it no longer.

"You said the apology was one reason for this visit. I assume there are more?"

"Oh yes. I have talked with my mother. You have one week to prepare for the ball. She wants you to go to a fitting first thing tomorrow. She said the children are free from school this week. "He crossed his arms in front of his chest and looked at my bookshelves.

I sighed quietly. "Very well. Is that all?"

He tensed. "No. You are also to continue to eat in the kitchen since you or wait until I choose to eat alone to eat with the royal family so out paths don't cross."

"Yes, that makes sense."

He hesitated then continued, "She also wants us to practice being in love with each other so we are better prepared for the day of the ball and whatever follows it. Because no one is supposed to know that we know each other, we will have to meet in secret. To ensure that we do speak with each other and practice, she is sending one of my siblings or going herself to these meetings. They are required and there is no way to get out of it." His hands clenched at that. I suppose he tried to get out of it. I wonder how long he pestered his mother about that.

"I expected something like that. Very well then, where will we meet and when?" I leaned my elbows on my knees and cradled my head with my hands.

"That's it? You aren't going to fight it?" he asked, the first sign of emotion in his voice.

"What else is there to do? I have accepted to marry you and I have accepted the Queen's plan. We might as well start practicing now, because I'm no great actress and I will not be seen the fool at the ball if anyone can see right through the act. If we are going to do this, we might as well do it well," I replied tiredly.

He sighed in frustration and ran his fingers through his hair. "I suppose you are right, but that does not make me any happier. We are to meet tomorrow at noon at a meadow in the forest behind the castle. You are to say you are going on a picnic with Elianne, who would like to talk with you privately and has shown interest in plants. I will meet both of you there. Elianne will know where to go. I hope you can ride because we are going in horses." With that he stood, bowed, and left my room before I had a chance to blink.

**A/n: Hope you enjoyed it. Things really start to pick up after this! Reviews are greatly appreciated! **


	9. Chapter 9

**a/n: Here it is, the next installment of Elle! enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: If I owned the story of Cinderella, I could make billions off of Disney and the Grimm brothers. As it is, I am stuck reinventing **

**it to fit my fancy. So no, I don't own that fairy tale.  
**

Chapter Nine

I sighed. My arms ached from holding them straight out and I so wanted to twitch or make at least some movement. The seamstress that was taking my measurements did not know the "secret plan" as I liked to refer to it. The Queen just told her that she wanted to see me take a break from all of my hard work and have fun, so the gown was actually just a gift.

Still, special or not, the fitting for this dress was dull and tiring. I never realized before how much effort it takes to be completely still. It seems that it takes more energy to make no movement than to make movement. The seamstress was nice but quite strict about me not moving or talking as she flitted around me, muttering measurements aloud.

"So dear, do you know what color you want your dress? And of course I'm going to need you to choose a fabric and a style. You don't look like the girl to take after current fashions, but you might want that too. We need to choose the right thing o go with the theme of the masked ball. Speak to me! What do you want?" the seamstress jolted me out of my doze. What did I want? The Queen and I didn't discuss the dress much. Did I want to stand out, or be modest? What would the prince look for to make him look at me?

"I'm not sure. What do you suggest?" I asked her.

"Hmm…" she took a step back and observed me. Her thin fingers tapped her narrow chin as she thought, and her warm brown eyes narrowed to slits. She circled around me slowly, giving the idea of a vulture come to my mind, although she was quite the opposite of one. She was older than the Queen, gray touching her temples and streaking through her dark brown hair. She was thin, but didn't seem bony. Several pins stuck to various places on her dress, which was gray and understated but seemed to suit her just fine.

"I'm thinking a nice forest green to complement your eyes, so maybe you could be some sort of faery of the forest or an orange to complement your hair so you would go as a being of fire," she said, still looking at me.

"Orange! That would look terrible with my hair!" I protested.

"No, no, no. You don't see what I see. Your hair is a dark red with a tinge of brown, and with the orange, it could bring out a brighter tone. Of course, it has to be the right shade of orange so that it makes you look like a bright flame. Imagine that. You will shine so brightly that the Prince himself will take one look at you and fall at your feet! Wouldn't that be romantic?"

I thought about it. I was supposed to draw the Prince's attention, but an orange dress? I shuddered at the thought.

"No," I said firmly. "Make the dress green."

The seamstress sighed. "Very well, but oh what a beautiful thing you would've been with the dress I had in mind." She shook her head. "Green it is. Now, do you have any style in mind?"

"How about simple and elegant, with thin straps at my shoulders, cinched at the waist and flowing down to the floor?" I suggested, not really giving much thought to it.

"Elegant, pshh! You want to stand out. You're youthful and shouldn't wear such a boring dress! What about a strap on one shoulder with your other shoulder bare? It's daring and speaks volumes of youth, but can still look elegant, which fits with the stories of the Faer Folk. We can sew in some wild flowers and some gauze to make you look mysterious." She looked at me hopefully.

"If you think I would look good in it, I suppose you can go through with that idea. Just don't go overboard please."

"Oh, don't you worry. It'll look so wonderful on you that it'll kill you to take it off! Still, that orange dress would've been so much prettier." She sighed. "Oh well, now let's get these things off of you so you can leave."

I breathed a sigh of relief as I left the seamstress' room. I relished the movement of my legs and swinging arms as I walked to the stable for the next big part of my day. Hopefully it wouldn't be as mortifying and tiring as I feared it would be.

The ride to the meadow was uneventful. I wasn't much of a horse lover, but I could ride decent enough, and so it was no difficulty to lead my chestnut after Elianne, who rode a horse she loved with all her heart, or so she said.

"Oh my goodness Elle! I can't believe you're going to marry my brother! It's going to be so great. You get to be part of the family and Lady Piglet will leave in shame and disappointment!" Elianne squealed with glee, quite like a little piglet funnily enough, and turned on her saddle to look at me. "You are going to be such a wonderful queen!" Her eyes shone with delight and her luxurious golden locks moved with the wind behind her.

"Um, I'm sorry to break your bubble Elianne, but you do know that I don't love your brother and that I was forced into this marriage right? So my life probably isn't going to be all that great." I said glumly.

"Those are just details. Besides," her lips jutted out in a pout and her eyes went wide and round, "Don't you love us and want to be part of the family?"

I sighed, "Of course I love you and want to be part of your family. I also want to be happily in love when I marry."

"Oh don't you worry about that. Sooner or later you and my brother are just going to fall in love. You are perfectly suited for each other, you'll see." She waved her hand around dismissively and trotted ahead

Right. Prince not-so-Charming and I were meant to be. However could I not see it? His arrogance clearly matches my willingness to help others. Oh please. Prince Eldon and I would only succeed in fooling others of 'our love' but to actually fall in love was like catching a star with your hands, nigh impossible and painful to the extreme.

"You're late." Prince Eldon was sitting on the ground, a blue blanket spread underneath him. His legs and arms were crossed and he glared in my direction. Great, things were starting wonderfully.

The meadow was a cozy size, about as big as my classroom in the palace. Grass was growing pretty high all around except for the small area Prince Eldon sat in. Wildflowers grew in patches, and the branches from the tall trees were long enough to be of easy reach if I stretched my hand out closest to the edge of the meadow. Sunlight filtered in through the branches and gave a nice peaceful feeling that was at odds with the tension and glares coming off Prince Eldon.

We tethered our horses to the branch that Prince Eldon presumably tethered his majestic black horse. It was big and scary, and I was reluctant to approach it. Still, I preferred the horse over the prince, so I steeled myself and tied Marigold, my horse, next to the black one.

"Oh Eldie, you have no idea how difficult it was to get away. Adanoty wanted to come and Sayble was upset because she wasn't invited and Edric was all gruff about it and making things worse. Elle was only just able to calm them down with a promise to visit the river tomorrow afternoon, and then we had to deal with their enthusiastic shrieks and promises to be good. So really, don't blame us but them!" At that, Elianne sat next to her brother 'Eldie' with a huff and looked at me expectantly.

I did the only thing I could think of. I curtsied and murmured, "Your Highness."

He nodded and was about to respond when Elianne interrupted. "Oh no Elle! That is not the way a girl in love would greet her betrothed! Do it again but with more emotion! Stop looking at me like that!" she raised her nose to the air, "Mother said that I was to make sure that you acted like a loving betrothed couple. So go on, do it again."

I sighed. Well, she wanted lovesick girl so lovesick girl she would get. "Eldie! Oh dear Eldie! How are you my heart, my love, my life? Tell me you have missed me as much as I have missed you!" I got on my knees in front of him hands clasped together and eyes wide open in an attempt at the loving doe look.

A look of disgust came across his face that was replaced in an instant by a bored look. His eyes glinted mischievously though, and held slight amusement. I beckoned with my eyes for him to respond.

"Oh Ellie of my heart! 'Tis not possible for you to have missed me as I have missed you, for I have felt the world move a hundred times and have grown a hundred years since I saw you lost. Tell me my dear, are you well?" I almost lost my bearing. His acting was amazing. His earnest eyes held mine and he too clasped his hands and moved in a kneeling position. I placed a hand on my forehead and swooned, saying, "I feel dizzy with the emotion of this intense reunion."

I held on a few seconds longer, but couldn't help it any longer. I laughed and laughed and laughed, finally releasing the tension I have felt for weeks. Elianne was complaining in the background and Prince Eldon resumed the look of boredom, but I felt my burden ease the slightest bit.

**a/n: I hope you all liked it! Reviews are appreciated! **


	10. Chapter 10

**a/n: I keep forgetting to say this, but thank you to all my reviewers! you make my world go round! or at least make me happy anyway! **

**thank you to all readers as well, but reviewers are like proof that people do read this, unlike stats who don't really tell me much.! **

**Although i was a but disappointed to get so few reviews, I didn't let it stop me from updating! I hope you all like this chapter. **

**disclaimer: *sigh*must i really do this? everyone knows i don't own Cinderella.  
**

Chapter 10

"Eldon! Elle! You can do so much better! Why aren't you even trying?" asked Elianne, exasperated with our efforts, or lack of.

After I had finally calmed down from my hysterical laughing fit, Elianne stopped shrieking that what we did wasn't funny. We needed to be serious about acting in love, our life depended on it. Or so she said.

Eldon rolled his eyes. "What are we even supposed to say? I have almost no experience in this area and I doubt my _fiancé _knows much either." I glared at him from my spot on the ground, tearing viciously at the grass. He probably didn't know much about love, but if anyone knew flirting and wooing, it was him. That is, according to the kitchen and scullery maids who still can't stop giggling when he is mentioned, anyway.

"Well no, but you have both been around nobles and such who do right? Besides Eldon, mother and father love each other very much and show it. And Elle, didn't your stepmother and father love each other? Just take after them. You should both be passionate, yet gentle." She said, raising her arms and closing them around her body, hugging herself.

"Elianne?"I asked, raising an eyebrow, "Exactly how many romance novels have you been reading lately young lady?" she blushed. "That's not the point Elle!"

We stared at each other in silence again. After our mockery of love, both Eldon and I refused to seriously act out like we were in love. It was much too awkward.

"Fine!" Elianne raised her hands in defeat. "Just you wait. Tomorrow is mom's turn." With that ominous threat over our heads, Eldon and I followed Elianne back to the castle.

The following days were uneventful. I continued to have fittings for my dress in the mornings and 'love' lessons with Eldon and our 'chaperone' but more like 'dictator' in the afternoons.

Our lessons were slightly improving, and we were finally able to look at each other directly without grimacing or grinding our teeth. At least, not while practicing. The lessons in the meadow had progressed to dancing, which wasn't so bad if we just looked over each other's shoulder.

"No, no, no, no. Look into his eyes and act like you're melting Lady Darielle! Act like the only thing supporting you as you dance are his hands that are holding you up. That's it. Only, don't bend your knees, it looks unnatural. Prince Eldon, do stop grimacing. Smile, and if you can't, look intense. Intensity and seriousness can be taken as suppressed passion." I snorted at that, and shook my head at our dictator of the day.

Mr. Tebu, the bald man that introduced me to the King and Queen on the day of my interview, was in on the events that were happening and was trusted enough to aid us in our mission of fooling everyone of my love for Prince Eldon. Apparently, Mr. Tebu was a director in the dramas that were put on for the nobles until he was promoted a few years ago, and the Queen thought him a professional in this matter. I had thought the Queen was bad when we had our lessons, but she was nothing on Mr. Tebu.

"Ouch! Really, could you be more careful?" That was about the hundredth time that Prince Eldon had stomped on my foot.

"The floor we're walking on is uneven," he said, eyes flashing angrily.

"Oh sure, 'the floor we're walking on is uneven.'" I mocked, "You don't see me stomping on your foot do you? You would think a prince would have better dancing skills than a tutor."

Prince Eldon opened his mouth to speak, his eyes glaring dangerously, when we heard clapping. Confused, I looked at Mr. Tebu who was clapping his hands heartily.

"That's exactly what you need to do, whisper at each other, even if they are not very nice things. Anger is a very strong emotion and it caused both of you to lean forward and look intently in each other's eyes. Of course, you were both furious, but the audience doesn't know that! All the audience sees is both of you leaning forward and staring straight at each other while whispering. The only thing we need is for Lady Darielle to giggle every so often. So for now, that is our plan. Until you are both married of course, or officially engaged."

What? I looked back at Prince Eldon and realized that we were indeed very near to each other's face. So close in fact, that I noticed a few freckles on his face that I didn't know he had. Well, if acting in love meant making Prince Eldon angry we were so going to fool everyone.

It was the day of the ball.

I paced in my room, going from the large window to the opposite side of it where the door stood. I had spent most of the day in my room, catching up on some books I wanted to read and planning next month's lesson plans. Now, in my underclothes and dress robe, I waited for my dress to arrive to start getting ready. As far as I knew, I was going to get ready on my own.

The love-acting lessons were much more successful once we found out that anger was the key. It was a bit of a pleasure actually, to get Prince Eldon all riled up over little comments like his lacking dancing skills. Of course, he got me mad too, but not nearly as much as I got him mad.

I heard a knock at the door and stopped my pacing. "You may come in," I yelled through the door.

"Lady Darielle, we have brought your dress and accessories." Dehlia, a sort of lady's maid, came in with a bag covering what I assumed to be my dress and a small box with accessories from the Queen. With Dehlia were two other maids, Lidia and Grecia. I knew all three of them from those occasions, including the past two weeks, in which I ate with the servants of the castle.

"Thank you, but why all the formality? I thought we were on a first name basis?" I asked as I took the dress and put it on the bed.

Dehlia bit her lip and exchanged a look with Lidia. "'Tis nothing miss, we've heard a few things, is all."

"What sort of things?" I asked, hoping that they hadn't figured out our plan.

"Well, the others won't want me saying so, but rumors going 'round are saying the Queen wants you to marry the Crown Prince. That's why she wants you to dress nice." Dehlia looked down, nervously twirling her straight brown hair around her finger. I looked at Lidia, who hid her face with her golden curls, and then at Grecia who busied herself with the accessory box.

"That's ridiculous! You three know that I'll only marry for love. I probably don't love the Prince. I wouldn't know seeing as I haven't met him, but I'm sure he is the arrogant type. Besides, you girls say he strings girls along, and I'm not into that type, so there's nothing to worry about!" I said, trying to sound as convincing as possible. "Now, let me start getting ready for the ball."

"Oh, I forgot to tell you. The Queen wants us to help you get ready," Grecia said, finally putting the box down. "I suppose she wants you to look really good tonight." I snorted in what I hoped they took as disbelief, not because what they said was an understatement.

"Alright then, let's get started. I just took a bath, so you don't have to worry about that." Thank goodness I had the foresight to do that. I don't think I'll ever be comfortable with someone giving me a bath. The girls nodded and Dehlia gestured for me to sit down at the small vanity in a corner of my room. I took my seat, wondering at what these girls where going to do.

"I'll start Lad—"I raised an eyebrow, "er, Elle's hair. Lidia, will you shake out the dress and find appropriate shoes? Her Majesty said that if Elle didn't have some, to take her size and look for the shoemaker who should have some shoes ready and made. Grecia, do you want to start on her make-up? Her majesty said to make it light, as Elle is going to wear a mask anyway." I sighed. Make-up and dressed hair were my least favorite things. Dehlia started to brush my hair, like she said she would, and Grecia shifted my face in front of her. I heard rustling from Lidia, who was taking my dress out of the bag.

"Oh," Lidia gasped softly, "It's beautiful." I turned to look but was shoved forward by Dehlia. "Hold still Elle. You can look at your dress later." After what felt like an eternity, Dehlia pronounced that she was finished and allowed me to look in the mirror.

I was confused as I continued to stare at myself. My hair was down. Dehlia had tried to brush it, but my curls were untamable. Still, she had managed to make my hair look nice and soft. She had added a bit of glitter so my hair sparkled when I moved. It was nice, but not what had been discussed at my fittings. There was no flower in sight. My make-up was not at all 'light'. Grecia had added dark kohl on my eyelids to make my eyes look larger, giving them a smoky affect. My lips were dark red, and I had more glitter on my shoulders and neck. I most certainly do not recall having chosen for this make-up. I was supposed to look soft and mysterious, not sparkly and bold. I turned behind me to ask Dehlia what was going on when my eyes fell on my dress.

"What is that?" I shrieked. It was not my green dress. The dress that Dehlia was holding up was orange. Orange!

I was not going to the ball as a fire being!

**a/n: Thank you for reading, reviews make me happy *hint hint* :) Question, a wonderful reviewer asked For Eldon's POV, and I thought this was a good idea but what do you guys think? It may make the story lag behind a little bit because i still want Elle to tell the story in her POV. i could always add his POV once the story is finished. So let me know what you think! **


	11. Chapter 11

**a/n: Sorry, Sorry! I know I promised many of you that I would update earlier this week, but life came up and ruined my plans! **

**Again, Sorry! Good news though, Eldon's Pov is on here. I hope none of you are disappointed. I bet many of you thought of him differently, **

**but this is how he thinks. I ask that if you don't like it, or think that he thinks differently, that you skip his future pov's and just read Elle's **

**POV, even though you might miss some hints.**

**Thanks again to all my readers and reviewers! I would list you all, but I bet you just want to get to the story! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Cinderella. **

Chapter Eleven

I felt the cold smoothness of the polished mahogany banister under my hand. Taking careful steps, I walked down the elaborate staircase that led to the main ballroom, gritting my teeth. I had lost the battle over the dress when the Queen herself came into my rooms and threatened to force me to go, naked or wearing the dress. The soldiers at the door motivated me to wear the dress, but in my stubbornness I refused to look in the mirror once I had it on. It surprised me, having the troops at the door. The Queen wasn't really trying to cover up the fact that she really wanted me to go to the ball, and I think that she just fueled the rumor Dehlia had told me, which may have been what she wanted.

Either way, I was forced in shoes and a dress not of my liking, following women and men in elaborate costumes down the staircase.

The dress really was beautiful but too bold for my taste. It wasn't just orange, which was a relief I suppose. The seamstress had added golden yellow embroidery in the shape of flames going up my dress, along with different shades of red and an almost purple color, making me look like I really was on fire. I swear I saw the doorman twitch towards a glass of water when he saw me. I wore a red mask with tiny golden flames and matching scarlet shoes that had more heel than I was used to. Prince Eldon better fall at my feet (acting of course) when he saw me for all the effort I was using to not rip everything off and lock myself in the closest room.

I made it to the bottom of the steps safely and without tripping, and followed the couple in front of me to the ballroom. I gasped as soon as I walked in.

The usually bright ballroom was glowing softly, most of the chandeliers put out except for the one in the middle and one or two near the tables. No doubt a plan to make the Prince and I stand out more. The room was a large oval shape, quite a peculiar thing compared to other castles' ballrooms. Along the curved sides stood long tables that were specifically made to curve along the walls. On them, on glittering plates of gold and silver, were the most delicious looking refreshments. Linda, the head cook, had really outdone herself. I wanted to try a pastry, but I knew my first task was to find the Prince.

On the dais at the furthest wall of the room sat the Royal Family, Princess Elianne and Princess Sayble the only two wearing masks. They all looked elegant and beautiful, the girls wearing elaborate clothes and the boys wearing their finest. At the foot of the dais, hidden partially from view by a gaggle of girls in costumes, stood Prince Eldon. I couldn't see him clearly, but it looked like he was greeting girls that had formed a long line to meet him.

The girls that weren't wishing for a meeting with the Prince were dancing with a few lucky noblemen. Most of the men were partner-less due to the distraction of the Crown Prince, but there was still a considerable few waltzing around the floor of the ballroom. The ladies looked amazing and ethereal, most of them going for the soft and Fae-looking costumes. I gulped. Among the pale pinks, blues, and greens, I stood out like a lighted candle in a dark room.

I gritted my teeth again and decided to take a seat at one of the soft sofas near the refreshment tables. I wasn't about to break up the party of desperate girls wanting to meet the Prince. There was plenty more time for him to suffer.

I sighed in relief as I sat down, giving my feet a rest. I gulped as I wondered how I was going to deal with the rest of the night, if, in just a few minutes, my feet were already tired. I decided not to dwell on that fact and distracted myself by looking at my surroundings again. I saw a group of men at the other end of the table nudge each other and nod towards me. One of the men, disguised as a stag with antlers pushed a reluctant man forward.

The masked gentleman walked towards me and bowed. I raised my eyebrows in confusion. "Lady, will you please do me the honor of dancing a waltz with me?" he asked, holding out his hand. I blushed. "Forgive me, but I am feeling a bit unwell," I replied, trying my best to look pale and sickly. He straightened, but his shoulders slumped in disappointment. "The Crown Prince compares to no one, I see. Have a fair evening, Fire Lady," he bowed again and I nodded my head forward to hide my flushed face. Fire Lady indeed! What were the Queen and seamstress thinking?

About a quarter of an hour had passed before I steeled my nerve and stood up to meet the Prince. Most of the gaggle of girls that surrounded him were gone, which was the perfect opportunity to strike, before they came back to ask for dances.

I walked around the perimeter of the dance floor towards the Prince, who had not yet seen me. I was practically in front of him before his eyes turned to look at me. His eyes flickered with what I thought to be shock, and sure enough, Princesses Sayble and Elianne gasped when they saw me. I must really look like I'm on fire!

I curtsied in front of the Prince. "I believe it was me you were looking for," I murmured the code sign that it was me.

"And how could I find you when you blinded me with your beauty?" he whispered, taking my hand and bowing over it as I tried to suppress the snort that so badly wanted to come out. We straightened and looked at each other, making the 'first' meeting between us dramatic and to look like it was love at first sight.

Prince Eldon's hair was brushed back, his jet-black curls tamed for once. On his head was the silver circlet that identified him as Crown Prince, probably chosen over his gold one to match his outfit. He wore a charcoal gray tunic embroidered with silver thread, and black leggings. His black boots glistened, but he still looked quite subdued compared to me. I could just feel the glee radiating from the Queen. Fire and Smoke we were, the Prince and I. _How romantic_, I thought sarcastically_, we really are meant for each other! _Oh dear, I really want to cool blue eyes stood out amidst all the gray and black, which was probably why many girls were swooning earlier. Again, I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. Yes, the Prince was quite handsome, but to swoon over him was quite ridiculous.

"Would you like to dance, Milady?" The Prince really was laying it on thick. He made his voice soft, but loud enough for many people nearby to hear.

"You would do me a great honor, Your Highness," I said, bowing my head slightly.

With my hand already in his grasp, he pulled me to the middle of the ballroom and drew me close to his body. With the ease of much practice, I automatically put my other hand on his shoulder as he put one on my waist. Immediately, we began to sway to the soft waltz, knowing that what gracefulness we exhibited when we danced together came by practice, not because we belonged together, as others would perceive it as.

After a few minutes, we both opened our mouth to speak. He closed his and nodded for me to go first. We both knew what was coming. I raised my eyebrow slightly and whispered, "Milady? Really? You're supposed to sound romantic, not from the Middle Ages!"

"Oh, and what did you expect, for me to call you 'Your Highness'? I hadn't realized you were so eager for the title." He muttered back angrily, staring at me and going for the 'suppressed passion' look that he has been practicing.

"Now you are just putting words in my mouth!" I turned away, trying to keep my face from scrunching up in anger like every 'chaperon' says it's prone to do. Thank goodness for the mask, it made this part so much easier.

"You're right. Forgive me. I'll just call you Phoenix Lady or Fire of my Heart." He whispered in my ear. I took this as my cue to be cute and giggled into his shoulder, something Mr. Tebu said every flirtatious young lady would do.

It was going to be a very long night.

**Eldon POV**

I yawned behind my hand.

I was clearly wrong when I thought Lady Darielle to be the most tiresome lady I ever had the misfortune to meet. I made a mental note to apologize to her later in the night as yet another girl came up to me and curtsied.

Most of these ladies looked the same, with flowers in their hair and dressed up as the Summer Fae or the Spring Fae, and I believed there was one Winter Faery around here somewhere. How refreshing.

This girl curtsied and giggled as I kissed her hand and forced a smile on my face. "Lady," I said, "you look lovely. I bet many men are going to fall at your feet today." Not a complete lie. Her black wig was slightly askew, allowing a glimpse of a bald head underneath. Her green dress made her skin look yellow, and was so tight that I doubted she could breathe. Her face was so caked with powder that I bet it would take something much more powerful than water to pry it off her face tonight. If the men didn't fall at her feet because of her beauty, it would be because she frightened them as she tried to look coquettish. I shouldn't think such thoughts towards a subject, but then again, they probably only liked me for my status.

She giggled once more and left, allowing an opening for another girl. I kept my composure as I saw who was walking up to me.

She looked beautiful, but I knew how she was underneath. Her costume went well with the personality she pretended to have. Her eyes sparkled with that perpetual gleam some saw as mischievous but that I saw as evil. The fine features of her face were hidden by her mask, but it didn't hide her well.

She curtsied, I bowed.

"Lady Pillete, how are you this evening," I asked.

She raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Your Highness, how did you guess who I was?"

"With such distinguished features, you would be hard to be mistaken as someone else." It was true. No other girl could pull off the look she was going for, and her hard blue eyes made it impossible to confuse her for someone else. Her brilliant blonde hair was usually piled up on her head, much like today. She wore white feathers on her hair and mask, as well as on the cape she wore. Her silk white dress was fitted close to her body, but it had a modest neckline. With her graceful neck, white dress, and feathered mask, she really did look much like a demure swan. If only more people knew how vicious swans could be.

She laughed. "Oh Prince Eldon, you flatter me so! Promise to dance with me later, will you?" she asked, fluttering her eye lashes.

"I shall try my best to make it happen." I replied, hoping that Darielle would make sure to keep me busy for the rest of the night, and wondering how much longer she was going to take in arriving. She did live upstairs and had the whole day to prepare.

"Then I will wait," she said and curtsied. I bowed back, almost sighing in relief.

It appeared that Lady Pig— Pillete was the last lady waiting to meet me, so I looked around the room for any sign of Darielle. My eyes swept around the dancers and the tables, and it wasn't until she was almost in front of me that I noticed her.

One thing was for sure, Darielle sure knew how to clean up nice. She looked striking, and I almost turned around to ask my mother if that really was her.

But of course it was Darielle. No one else had vivid green eyes that sometimes turned brown, but still contained that gleam of amusement, even when she was angry. Her costume was quite elaborate and bold. I was sure she lost that battle, because I couldn't picture her, the one that worked in the kitchens on her days off, choosing to voluntarily wear that dress.

She was on fire. It looked like it anyway. The dress really was ingenious. Her curling red hair looked like it would crackle with heat any second, and added spark to her flaming orange, gold, and red dress. She sparkled and glowed so brightly I was almost tempted to put my hands up to my eyes. The only relief from her fiery costume came from her cool green eyes that were almost concealed by her red mask.

She stopped in front of me and curtsied. In a low voice she said, "I believe it was me you were looking for." I wanted to reply sarcastically, but instead answered with the coded response, which I thought was ridiculous to have anyway. "And how could I find you when you blinded me with your beauty." She more like blinded me with all the glitter on her body. Her eyes shone in annoyance and amusement.

After staring at her in the predetermined time of a minute, I started the real show.

"Would you like to dance, Milady?" I asked softly, wishing there was a less cheesy way to do this.

"You would do me a great honor, Your Highness," she replied. Darielle probably didn't care for 'honor', but I led her to the dance floor anyway. We began to dance right away. After a few minutes I opened my mouth to comment on something when I realized Darielle had done the same. I let her go first. I knew that she could make me mad faster than I could make her mad.

Her eyebrows rose slightly, a clear sign of irritation. "Milady? Really? You're supposed to sound romantic, not from the Middle Ages!"

"Oh, and what did you expect, for me to call you 'Your Highness'? I hadn't realized you were so eager for the title." I retorted. It took a lot of effort to say it, and now she's accusing me of picking the wrong word. Women! They are never satisfied with anything!

"Now you are just putting words in my mouth!" Oh there she goes again. Say one thing, and bam, she's all insulted. She turned away from me, and I knew that her face was scrunching up in anger despite the many times she was told not to. Now I had to cool things down before it appeared we were having a quarrel.

I whispered into her ear, probably the only part of her face not glittery, "You're right. Forgive me. I'll just call you Phoenix Lady or Fire of my Heart." The words were like acid in my mouth, but just like I knew she would, she took the cue and let out her false, high pitch giggle. She turned back to look at me, and the same tired look came across our faces.

Only four more hours to go.

**a/n: Let me know what you think. Tell me if you liked it or not (especially Eldon's POV) and why! Thanks for reading! **


	12. Chapter 12

**A/n: Okay, first I want to say Sorry for taking forever! I planned on updating last week but I had forgotten Christmas was in that week and I got wrapped up in last minute shopping and church. So, sorry! **

**Second, Merry Christmas (though that is a bit late)! If you don't celebrate Christmas, then Happy Holidays or Happy Winter! **

**I hope you all enjoy this chapter, and thank you to all my reviewers and readers and people who favorite and alert me! You guys keep me going! **

**Disclaimer: Do I really have to say it? I don't own Cinderella. There.  
**

Chapter Twelve

The night certainly was going to be a long one. Prince Eldon and I were angry enough to add the 'intensity' that was needed to look like we were falling in love with each other, but calm enough to not react to the anger rashly. His hand was warm in mine, and I fervently wished it wouldn't start to sweat. As we continued to dance, the prince and I shared our views of the ball, taking a break from making each other angry.

"No, no, no. The guy with the antlers really did take the whole 'masked' thing too far. There are other ways to show you are a stag rather than going for the ridiculous and obvious way," argued Prince Eldon. I brought my head closer to his to continue the discussion without anyone else listening.

"See, that's where I disagree. It just shows that he's not afraid to make a fool of himself. It exhibits masculinity and confidence." I replied, making sure to whisper my response in his ear.

Prince Eldon snorted. "He probably ended up with the short stick. No man would voluntarily wear _antlers_! Every man knows that isn't attractive to women. See, he's completely alone tonight."

Admittedly, he was alone. There were very few women sitting, and those few sat in groups deep in discussion, gossip being the most likely subject. Nevertheless, I sniffed and squeezed his hand until his flinched. "And of course, you would know everything there is to know about women now, wouldn't you?" I guess this was the beginning of 'angry mode' and the end of the break we were taking.

"Oh that reminds me." Prince Eldon swung me around suddenly until we were in the middle of the dance floor standing face to face. Both my hands were in his grasp, and if I hadn't been pulling him up, he would've gone down on one knee. The other dancers edged closer, most likely anticipating the words about to come from their beloved Prince. "Fire of my Heart, I ask for your forgiveness," he whispered in a suave voice, looking earnestly at me. The couples around us were edging closer still, not having heard what he said, and I inwardly flinched and rolled my eyes. Prince Eldon really did enjoy the acting gig we were in.

"Oh darling, there is nothing for me to forgive you for." I replied coquettishly, fluttering my eyes for good measure. Let the people coming close to suffocating me think we were just flirting.

"Oh but there is, Flaming Heart, I thought you to be the same as other tiresome girls, and I have realized you are not. So, forgive me." He said dramatically, letting go of my hands to spread them out before placing them in the dancing position.

I pinched his shoulder discreetly as I returned it there. He was being quite idiotic. "Darling, I forgive you as long as you forgive me. Many of the women in the kingdom told me you are a womanizer, flirt, and a selfish pig. I'm glad they are mostly wrong." I replied.

"Mostly wrong? Which one am I still then?" asked the shocked Prince.

"Oh don't you worry about it Sweetheart! I'm sure you'll grow out of it." I said, grinning. He muttered something under his breath but didn't broach the subject again.

Time passed much more quickly than I thought it would. Prince Eldon and I danced a good portion of it, but had to take frequent breaks because of my feet. Luckily no girls swarmed around him when we sat.

Still, I was nearing despair of the Prince ever giving me the signal. I had begun to sweat, which caused my dress to feel uncomfortable against my skin. I had the urge to take it off, step into a cool fresh lake and scratch, scratch, scratch. I was tired of the mask obscuring my vision and I felt like my make-up was running. Most of all, my feet hurt. It felt like they were on fire. I hated the shoes I was being forced to wear, and couldn't wait until it came time for me to hurl a shoe away.

Needless to say, I was feeling quite cranky and definitely not glamorous.

"It's time," whispered the Prince in my ear. I nodded and almost kissed him in relief, but instead allowed him to lead me out of the wide doors and into the garden. We were to look like lover's escaping to private grounds, when in reality I would be making my escape. It was better to have fewer witnesses to romanticize my escape more, or said Mr. Tebu.

The moon was out, giving pale light to our surroundings. The garden was large, bushes, trees, and rows and rows of all types of flowers organized in a way to make it look like they chose to grow there, not the gardener. For all its beauty, the moonlight gave the feeling of everything being surreal, much like my situation. The feeling of surrealism was ruined when I heard the music coming from inside the castle, as well as laughter and the sound of talking voices.

We sat on a bench under a large oak tree a little ways off from the path that lead back to the castle. I gave a big sigh and Prince Eldon followed with his own big sigh. "Can you really imagine the rest of our lives being this complicated and… false?" I asked him, already tired of all the acting and genuinely curious.

"Well, there is no other choice for me, so I just don't look ahead in this matter. Just do it as it happens." I nodded slowly. It is better to think in that way instead of worrying about a future that hasn't happened yet. What was that phrase I heard once? "Spend your efforts on your days as they come to you. Worry not about the past or the present, for what done is done, and what will be, will be." I guess I should start to take that phrase to heart.

"Yes, I suppose the makes sense. You know, things are going to get tougher when my family comes next week. They need to be absolutely convinced that we love each other."

"If we fooled an entire court, I'm thinking we can fool your family."

"Yes but they don't know me as much as my family knows me. Eddie has known me since I was born, and my stepmother not too long after." I replied, thinking of them fondly.

"What's the deal with this Eddie? Should I be worried that he will whisk you away and marry you as soon as he finds out we are to marry?" I began to laugh but stopped short when I saw his face. He looked at me with serious eyes.

I gaped at Prince Eldon in shock. He looked back at me, wanting an answer.

"Eddie is twice as old as I am, probably more, but I don't know his exact age. He's more like an older, very protective brother or favorite uncle. So stop thinking him as a rival, it grosses me out." I said testily, but with an inevitable shudder at the thought of marriage with Eddie.

"Don't get mad at me, I had to make sure I have no rivals. Sheesh, you're pricklier than a porcupine!"

"Yes well—"Something cut me off, something I could not believe.

My eyes were wide open in shock, not comprehending the sheer nearness of him to me. The shock passed later than what I could hope for, but was replaced with fury and indignation.

A slap resounded as soon as my hand hit Prince Eldon's face. He jerked away from me in pain, cradling his cheek.

"What in the world was that?" I asked, furious. I wiped my lips and grimaced. He only shook his head and pointed to a large bush. I raised my eyebrows in confusion, and was about to hit him again when I saw two heads appear over the hedge. I looked back at Prince Eldon. He reached to me and whispered in my ear. "Those girls were watching us. I had to do something to shut you up. A hand to the mouth would be rude and appear odd if we were in love, the same with a hush or a nudge to your ribs. I did the only thing I could think of." The only thing he could think of? Ooh, the nerve of him!

I was about to reply when I heard the castle clocks chime twelve. I stood up, leaned over Prince Eldon and, hoping to sound very threatening, I whispered, "We will finish this discussion tomorrow," before running around the garden to the servants' stairway. I took both shoes off and threw one down the path. I sighed in relief as soon as I felt the cool marble underneath my sore feet and continued up the steep staircase.

**EPOV **

I ran my hands through my hair. I honestly had not meant to do that, especially not with Darielle. But what else was I suppose to do? She was about to go on a rant, which is not how newly met lovers act, and I saw those girls, and well, I panicked. So I did the only thing that popped into my mind and now she was after my head. Where was the justice in this world? I touched my cheek again, wondering what my mother had gotten me into.

I wanted to burn that memory from my mind, that dreadful, dreadful, _dreadful_, memory.

I shuddered again before running back to the castle to become the infatuated and frantic Prince my mother wanted me to become. Clutching her red shoe (and finally understanding why Darielle spent half the night complaining), I opened the wide doors and starting yelling for guards to find the girl I was to marry.

Of course, chaos erupted.

**a/n: Thanks for reading, Tell me what you think! (I know EPOV is short, but he didn't have much to say in this chapter that I thought was important!)**


	13. Chapter 13

**a/n: I know it has been forever, so I am throwing myself at your knees in hopes you will all forgive me! But really, what can i say? Life has **

**that annoying habit of getting in the way. This chapter is quite short, but i hope you all enjoy it just the same, especially with my promise to **

**update faster. **

**For my beautiful reviewers: I am sorry that i haven't replied to you all. Know that i truly appreciate your comments and the fact that you take the time to tell my what you think of my humble story. Please note that I will not reply to the reviews of the last chapter, but know that i will for sure for this one and the ones following. Its just been so long that i have lost track as to which ones i have replied to and which ones i haven't. Forgive me? :D**

**Disclaimer: No, I don't own Cinderella. Do i look like two men? lemme answer that for you, no, i don't!  
**

Chapter Thirteen

I woke up disoriented, bright colors and flames still imprinted behind my eyelids from my dream. The sun was peeking through the curtains of my windows, lending small light to brighten the room enough for me to see. I was sweating, tangled in my bed sheets with my hair plastered to my head. As I untangled myself I looked around for the noise that woke me, noticing that although no one appeared to be in my room, there was a path cleared from my stacks of books leading to a small table where a tray sat.

I stood up, wincing as I moved aside books with my bare, sore feet to make a pathway to the table. On the silver tray lay a simple envelope, my name written with simple cursive in black ink. I opened it and read the letter:

_Darielle, _

_Mother has decided that we are to meet at the meadow today after you awake. Try to escape without notice, as I'm sure many of the servants know that the girl that left a "besotted" prince and a shoe behind her after a speedy escape, was you. Because of that, they would most likely ask you when you're going to present yourself to me to try on the shoe. Mother wants to drag on the shoe-trying to make it as dramatic as possible, so avoid people. _

_Do get up soon. I have to go visit the ladies of the kingdom with your scarlet shoe after we meet, and although I would love to not go, it is my duty to do so. _

_-Crown Prince Eldon_

I sighed. It appeared that there was not even a rest day for me. After drawing up a bath in the bathroom and washing up, I dressed in a soft green gown and simple brown slippers for my poor feet. I felt a bit ridiculous as I crept through the palace hallways, ducking behind statues and tapestries at the sound of footsteps. Once I made it to the stables virtually unseen, I saddled up Marigold (after bribing her with sugar cubes), and trotted down a path into the forest.

I arrived at the meadow faster than usual, probably on account of me being alone, and tied Marigold to a branch before meeting the Prince at the center of the meadow. I walked towards him as I brushed tendrils of hair that had escaped from the bun at the nape of my neck. He was lying on the grass, eyes closed with his arms at his hands on his stomach. Observing him quietly, I realized that the circles under his eyes indicated that he had gotten no sleep last night. He was dressed in simple clothes as well, brown leggings and a rumpled green tunic, and he had gotten rid of his circlet. He opened his eyes as soon as I nudged his shoulder with my foot.

"Finally! I've been waiting for hours! You do realize it's past noon right?" he asked, not bothering to rise from the ground.

"Well good afternoon to you too! Isn't it a bit early to start with your usual unpleasantness?" I asked, crossing my arms and tapping a foot in annoyance.

"Oh don't you dare tell me when or when to not be unpleasant! I have been awake since yesterday, no sleep at all, going around like a love sick puppy in hopes of 'finding my love'." He snapped.

"Very well then, I excuse your snarky self for today." I replied, taking a seat on the ground near him. "So what's on the agenda today? If we're doing nothing this week, I really need you to help me convince your mother about continuing with my lessons. Your siblings are going to forget everything I spent a year teaching them, and I do not want to see their hard-fought education go down the drain over a petty thing like marriage, even if it is to the future king!"

Prince Eldon rolled his eyes and rose to sit up straight. "I'm not a messenger, you go tell her yourself. And today we're are just to continue with acting lessons and get some details about my search for my 'lady love'." He said, curling his fingers twice when he said lady love.

I looked at him in disgust and amusement. "Please, please never say lady love in my presence again!" His blue eyes flashed in annoyance. "Oh Darielle, here I thought you were the mature one."

We glared at each other, arms crossed and bodies shifted to almost identical positions. After a few moments of our mini-stare down we both sighed and uncrossed our arms.

"Alright, let's get on with this, I have some lesson plans to get ready. Oh, and I believe I owe you this," I punched him as hard as I could on his arm. "Don't ever think that you are allowed to kiss me just because we will be betrothed soon or because it's all part of 'the plan'!" I exclaimed, smiling triumphantly when I saw him rubbing his arm. He scowled at me, but soon something akin to evil glinted in his eyes.

"Funny you say that," he said conversationally, "mother wanted us to go over a very special lesson today. Why do you think we don't have any supervisors?" he asked, his handsome face scrunched into a mischievous and falsely innocent façade. I narrowed my eyes at him suspiciously. "What are you talking about? Isn't Mr. Tebu just running late?" I asked, looking around in hopes of catching sight of a shining, balding head.

He laughed. "Oh no, that's what you would want to happen, but no, he isn't coming. No one is actually." His smile was even more open and amused, light bouncing off his bright white teeth.

I became a little uneasy, not comfortable at all with what I feared he was insinuating. He saw me squirm and his smile became the widest I've ever seen it. "In that case, I'll just leave you and continue on with my day. I'm sure we'll be able to resume this lesson at a later date, one in which Mr. Tebu can attend." I said as confidently as I could while slowly rising to my feet.

A long tan hand reached out and grabbed my wrist, pulling me back down to the ground quite ungracefully. I tried to fix my skirts at a more appropriate location on my legs without blushing.

"Oh no you don't!" he exclaimed, still grasping my wrist firmly in his. "No one will come until we finish this lesson, which they estimate will take quite a while."

I gaped at him. "Why?" I asked, utterly shocked.

"Can't you guess?" His roguish face was fit to make me start hyperventilating soon.

I shook my head in denial.

In a quick and unanticipated move, he let go of my wrist and put my face firmly in his strong hands. He leaned forward until we were only centimeters apart, so close our breath was mingling. His next words sent my heart into overdrive and filled me with dread.

"You're supposed to kiss me."

**a/n: hate it? love it? needs improving? tell me what you think...! (and thanks for reading!)**


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: I do not own Cinderella**

Chapter Fourteen

I spluttered as I tried to find the right words to express my shock and indignation.

"Or rather," he continued casually, still not letting go of my face, "we are supposed to kiss each other, quite thoroughly might I add, so that we are prepared when it comes time to physically express our love in public." He grinned and wagged his eyebrows suggestively.

"And the Queen agreed to this?" I asked, outraged. I tried to tug my face away from his as he spoke, but his hands kept me firmly in place.

"Oh yes, she was all for it actually. It rather surprised me, her enthusiasm for this little lesson I mean. You would think she had an ulterior motive or something." He replied, eyebrows suddenly drawing together in thought. I was so close to him that I could see his every expression, every little detail that once escaped my notice. The Ice Prince was actually much more expressive than I once thought.

"And you agreed to this so readily?" I asked skeptically. "I was sure you hated me."

"Hate is such a harsh word, I think. No, I don't hate you. I just don't like the situation we are in. I think you are somewhere in between indifference and like. And as a matter of fact, I did not agree to this at first. I protested violently against this, but after a while I saw the fun that I could have with this."

"Oh I'm sure you did. You just love to be with women don't you? What was that you said to me once? That at least I 'looked decent enough to share a bed with'?" I looked at him in disgust, tugging to get his hands off my face.

"Now, now, no need to get aggressive. You know that we will marry soon, and of course we will need heirs, so a time would come when we would have to be…intimate with each other. So I really do not see why you are making such a spectacle of this." He said. I tried hard not to blush at his choice of words.

"Yes I know that there will come a time when we'd need to do… that." I replied, "But I rather hoped we would have time to get to know each other better. And I'm making a 'spectacle' because to me, kissing isn't just a game. Lips touch but something more personal happens. Souls touch each other too, and a special bond happens between the two people that is irreversible, and there has to be love between the two."

"How romantic Darielle. Shall I go to the palace and retrieve some candles?" he asked sarcastically. "You are almost Royalty, and Royals rarely get a chance at love. We have a kingdom on our shoulders, and have no room for such idealistic thoughts. And not too long ago you said that you accepted the Queen's plan because you agreed to marry me and didn't want to make a fool of yourself for not being a good enough actress. We're just practicing more than lines now. Besides, we kissed last night, and none of the things you described happened." I stared at him.

"Of course nothing happened. We don't love each other!" He stayed silent, staring at me. I tried to ignore the nearness of him and thought. After a few minutes I responded.

"You're right, I suppose. I forgot that I had to leave all my previous dreams and imaginations of love when I agreed to this marriage." I gave a deep sigh, ignoring the fact that most of my breath went straight to Prince Eldon. This situation was getting harder by the second. So much for telling Prince Eldon that he was never to kiss me if it was just for 'the plan'.

"But why is this necessary now?" I asked, looking into his blue, blue eyes. "Why not wait a few more weeks or at least a few more days?"

It was Prince Eldon's turn to sigh into my face. I twitched, but otherwise didn't make a movement to express how much that bothered me. "There is no time Darielle. We have other things to do in the following weeks, and the next lessons will all be with Mr. Tebu. Do you really want to practice kissing in front of him?" he asked, exasperated. I shook my head and shuddered internally. Kissing in front of Mr. Tebu would be just as bad as kissing Prince Eldon himself.

"Fine." I grumbled. "Let's get this over with already."

"Ooh, you sound so eager!" he grinned, his face back to that roguish look. I slapped his shoulder. "And none of this, 'quite thoroughly' business!" I exclaimed. Prince Eldon only raised an eyebrow and winked in response.

After a few seconds of awkward staring, Prince Eldon began to lean forward. I willed myself to think of another place, a mathematical problem, the essays I would assign the kids, anything to avoid thinking of my present situation. He hovered a few mere inches from my face, tilting my head slowly with his hands. I closed my eyes, pretending to be somewhere else and to avoid seeing those blue, blue eyes or that perfectly crooked nose or those high, slightly flushed cheekbones or those full lips getting closer to me by the second. _And after the eight king of Aberlea came a reign of peace and prosperity on accounts of his third son Julian the Just, who inherited the throne after defeating his brothers Nathaniel the Needy and Grefan the Greedy. He married Luciana the Fierce, a Princess of a far off land, and they had three beautiful daugh— Oh!_

My eyes opened wide in confusion. Instead of the onslaught of sensory overload I expected from a kiss, I got an intense pain in the back of my head from something. My slight movement caused Prince Eldon to open his eyes just in time to be hit in the face by a soaring projectile.

What in the world? Prince Eldon cursed a bit bemusedly while he grasped at his face. Utterly confused, I slowly stood and turned around.

Standing right in front of me, arms crossed and tapping a bare foot was His Highness himself, the King of our great land. And he didn't look too happy.

Wait? Bare foot? I looked at his other foot and sure enough, it was shoe-less. With Prince Eldon cursing like a sailor behind me, the intimidating King staring me down in front of me, bare-foot, and getting hit with something that was assuredly not a kiss, I was suddenly overwhelmed.

Not wanting to meet the King's eyes I looked down and was surprised at what I found. Next to my left foot was the once polished boot of the King. I looked behind me and sure enough found the other boot lying on the ground next to Prince Eldon.

Well, that solves that mystery. Now what to do about the angry King?

"Your Majesty?" I asked tentatively, raising my head only slightly.

"Now just what do you think you two were doing?" he asked in a cold, soft voice. The alarms rang in my head. If the King was not speaking like his usual loud self, one knew there was trouble.

Prince Eldon sprang to his feet. "Father! It's not what it looks like!" he exclaimed, waving his hands in front of him. King Gilbert raised an eyebrow at that and turned to look at me.

"I…..I….um….kissing lessons?" My statement came out like a question, and with my impression of a gaping goldfish, I'm sure I sounded as confident as I wanted to be.

"And who authorized 'kissing lessons'?"

**a/n: Please excuse my tardiness! Life just won't slow down for me! I hope you are all not too cross at me, and that you enjoyed this chapter. I truly appreciate reviews, but you may hold them until the next chapter for taking what feels like months to update (though it will kill me inside!). **

**Thank you for reading!  
**


	15. Chapter 15

**a/n: First things first, i truly truly apologize for the lateness of this chapter. A lot of things happened in my life that had to put everything else to a halt, but i'm back now, and I hope all of you are as well. i have not given up on this story (Elle and Eldon won't let me rest!), and I hope that neither have all of you! Really, i think i may have found a cure for that pesky illness called Procrastination! **

**Second, I want to thank all of you reviewers and readers! You guys truly make my day, and even if i don't respond to the review, know that I do read it and take in account what you say! You guys are awesome, and more so for actually taking the time to read this little story! THANK YOU LOTS! **

**And Third, I am sorry to say that this chapter is more of a filler (and incredibly short), but I will post the next chapter this weekend or next Monday, depending on how life goes. Don't hesitate to send me a reminder if Friday passes with nothing though!**

**Disclaimer: Must we go through this every chapter? I don't own Cinderella. There, I said it. Don't ask me to say it again, or I'll head to my special corner and sob my little heart out! **

**Enjoy.  
**

Chapter Fifteen

"According to Prince Eldon, it was the Queen who authorized kissing lessons, Your Majesty," I said, speaking carefully and calmly.

The King's face darkened. "Oh ho! It was the Queen who authorized this, now is it? Eldon!" he said sharply, "explain yourself!"

Prince Eldon straightened his shoulders and raised his head. "It is the truth, Father. Mother really did tell me that this was what we were supposed to work on today. You know I am not one to take advantage of anyone, least of all a girl like Lady Darielle."

'A girl like Lady Darielle', what in the world was that supposed to mean?

"Humph. Yes well, your Mother is a bit too enthusiastic about this. Lady Darielle, Prince Eldon, I forbid you to 'practice' kissing or any such idea until you are married," the King ordered quite forcefully. "Unless you are inclined to do so out of real feelings, of course," he added thoughtfully.

I sighed in relief. A big sigh. The chances of me actually wanting to kiss Prince Eldon were close to nil.

King Gilbert continued, "The Queen has good intentions, but these lessons are becoming ridiculous and rushed. You both have better sense than to go with kissing lessons!"

"Well sir," I replied, "After being ordered to practice dancing and looking like we're in love, kissing lessons didn't seem too far-fetched."

"Yes well, you don't want to seem too practiced. For however much in love you are both supposed to be with each other, you will still be a new couple, learning about each other slowly," said the King.

I nodded slowly. What the king said was true, and I agreed with him, not least because these lessons would hopefully lessen.

"Well sir, do we go back to the castle then?" asked Prince Eldon, picking up the soft brown boots and handing them to his father.

"Indeed we do, but separately, of course. Eldon, you're supposed to be restless and fanatical over not being able to find your love," replied the King, making his way back to his horse, boots slung over his arms.

And so that was that. An issue that seemed drastic, unpleasant, and possibly life-altering was solved in a flash with a few spoken words. I felt triumphant at not having to kiss Prince Eldon, and I flashed a smirk in his direction as I headed to my own horse, but frightened at the same time. My life and happiness rested on the hands of very powerful people, and any spoken word could affect my life in a way that I have never noticed before.

This was ahead of me for the rest of my life (or until I became Queen—which was frightening in itself because than _I _would be the one to change one's like with anything I say) and I was becoming convinced that I was the worst possible person chosen for it.

~.~

A few days passed, seemingly normal compared to the excitement since the Prince's return. The Prince was out daily, placing my flaming shoe on the foot of every damsel in the city and neighboring towns, giving quite a show of his devotion and dedication to his elusive fire-maiden.

If I wasn't so anxious about the day that he would place the shoe on my foot, I would laugh at the ridiculousness of it all. Everyone was buying the story that the Queen had fabricated. Rumors abounded about who the mysterious girl was, why she was hiding, and how beautiful she must be to have the Prince so besotted. Of course, no one mentioned intelligence, but oh well.

There were also plenty of cruel rumors. Some were about the deformities on my face that I must have to not want to show it, or that I was an enemy spy (which was nonsense since Aberlea wasn't at war with anyone), or even that I was really a boy playing a prank or toying with the Prince (that one went too far….obviously I was a girl, there were some things you couldn't fake).

The castle servants didn't know what to make of this new and highly entertaining event. Many knew that the Queen had really wanted me to go, but few really knew that the fire dress was mine, that I was the one who "stole" the Prince's heart. Many had asked me if I had gone, but I would always respond with a noncommittal sound and walk away casually, faking an appointment or an assignment to grade.

I was supposed to act morose and confused, but not overly so, just enough so that when the truth came out, people could go, "So that's what had her acting a little off the other day!"

That day came sooner than I had wanted it to, though I confess that there were occasions when I would curl myself in a fetal position and just beg for this day to come to stop the boredom and nervousness that wouldn't let me rest.

It was quite a testament to our ever improving acting skills that Prince Eldon and I really did convince the inhabitants of the castle that 'our love' was as true and as pure as they come.

**a/n: Please Review! or not, I know I deserve it for leaving you guys hanging! Still, it'll make me feel better! and no worries, the action picks up next chapter! Thanks for reading, have a good one!**

**(geez, i need to stop it with all those exclamation points, they're giving me a headache! aaah, there i go again.)**


	16. Chapter 16

**a/n: TA-DA! I have finished this chapter earlier than i expected (mostly because I felt so guilty for taking forever with the previous one, and it being such a pitiful thing) so I decided to upload this days earlier! I hope you are all pleasantly surprised, forgive me for taking forever!**

**I rather like this chapter, I find it utterly amusing. It's not very well-written, as I thought you guys might want this earlier rather than later. Still, if you find something that bugs you, send me a message and let me know, and I'll see if I can fix it.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Cinderella. If I did, this would be the story told and created as a movie, not that one with the talking mice and birds (though I still love it). **

**And once again, thank you my reviewers, I believe that only three reviewed the last chapter as of now. You guys made this one come out faster than what I had planned! And of course, thank you readers who haven't reviewed! I know you're out there! (Really, how else would I have 119 reviews (which is AMAZING!) but plenty more readers, according to my stats? i love you guys too!)**

**Enjoy!**

Chapter Sixteen

The day of what I liked to call 'the beginning of the end' was supposed to start like any ordinary day. I would get up, ring for the maid to fill the bathtub, bathe, dress, eat breakfast, and take a stroll in the gardens, doing everything in that numbingly boring order.

As I walked around the garden, I would stumble across a rather downhearted Prince, whom I would, of course, console. He would then look up into my eyes, recognize me, and ask to slip the fire-shoe on my foot. After making sure it really wasn't in fire, I would give my consent, take a seat on the hard bench, remove my soft green slippers, and extend my foot to him. He would guide the red shoe onto my slim foot, would see that it's a perfect fit, look at me with a question in his eyes that I would answer yes to, and he would then make an enthusiastic whoop in his excitement at finally finding me. Servants and nosy nobles will come running, see our clasping hands, and join in on the Prince's mini-celebration.

And that would be that. Plans would commence for a royal wedding, and all will be right with the world.

If only things had gone as planned. Unfortunately, they didn't.

I should have suspected something when I woke up late. I'm not a person who enjoys sleeping in. I enjoy the early morning, quiet but for the running maids and butlers who have already been up for ages, preparing for another busy day in the palace. My body has accustomed itself to this regime of waking early, so when I woke up two hours later than I would normally wake, I should have known things were not going to go as planned.

To my present dismay, I shrugged it off and continued with the day, stumbling among my stacks of books to reach for the bell on my desk. As I shook it to ring up the maid, I noticed that no sound would come from it. I did not think it was possible for bells to break, but the proof was in my hands. Blissfully naïve, I shrugged it off again and made my way to the kitchens in hopes of finding a maid to fill a few tubs of hot water for my bath.

Alas, what I found was utter chaos. Standing on one of the doorways to the kitchen, hands gripping my nightgown and robe together, I came across a scene not to my liking. The kitchens were in disarray, maids and manservants scurrying around carrying kitchen utensils and, strangely, carpenting tools.

I tugged the arm of Lidia (one of the maids who helped me the night of the ball) as she passed me by. Her golden curls were going every which way, and she had a rather frazzled look on her face.

"Lidia?" I asked, "What is going on here?"

"Oh miss!" she replied, words rushing out of her mouth, "Half of the furnaces have broke! Tis a terrible thing, as the cooking and the like is gonna be much harder. Cook is out being more snappy than usual, what with the stress of only having the use of four furnaces and hundreds of mouths to feed this morning, not to mention the whole day!"

"So I suppose asking for warm bath water is out of the question?"

"Oh miss, I'm sorely sorry to say so, but yes. One of the maids can draw up some cool water if you still wishes to take a bath, but as for hot water?" here she shook her head, "tis not even probable that we will have hot food today," and with that, she hurried into the kitchen, following the sharp orders from Linda the Head Cook.

I had woken late, had to take a trek down to the kitchens for hot water only to discover that hot water wasn't available for who knows how long, and had to take a painfully cold bath. I was starting to get in a bad mood (it didn't help that I had to skip breakfast), especially after the third time I tripped over the same book, _Downfalls of Ancient Civilizations, _while getting ready.

I was putting on my best gown, one made of nice brown velvet, perfect for a meeting with the Prince, when the zipper got stuck. I jerked it upward a little too fast, causing a loud rip to be heard. I huffed, wiggled out of the gown, and grabbed my second best gown.

I disliked my second best gown. Immensely. It was a gift from the Queen, and I'm sure she had good intentions. Unfortunately the green she chose was of an ugly color, close to a muddy green (which was actually quite a popular fashion, though I couldn't tell what made it so popular) and the satin tended to wrinkle in the worst places when I sat. But, it was high quality, and I really did have to look my best. The zipper went up without a hitch, and I let out a sigh of relief.

I grabbed a simple barrette to put onto my hair and headed to the mirror. I promptly gave a shriek of horror. I hadn't paid attention to my hair when I awoke; I just shook it aside when I headed to the kitchen, and put it up in a messy bun when I took a bath. I suppose it was just as well that I hadn't noticed it earlier, or I would not have dared to leave my room. Suffice to say, I've seen Mr. Tebu with better hair (he does not have hair).

After doing this and that to it, I gave up and, after trying my best to slick it back with some new hair product, put it up in a bun. I looked at my reflection and grimaced. I have to say that I have a healthy self-esteem. I'm self-conscious enough to care about putting up a decent appearance, and I have looked pretty well in past occasions, but on the day that I had to convince that world, or at least the palace, that I was good enough for their future king, I looked utterly horrible.

But, I had to continue with my day, and I was already running late. I rummaged in my closet for my green slippers and put them on. I began to walk to the door when I stopped, an angry scowl on my face. I took off a slipper and looked at it. Of course, my day couldn't be complete without having experienced the feeling of a shoe that has been completely worn with use. I mean, for goodness sake! It wasn't like I was a dancing princess from Hitheranda!

The only option for shoe wear that I had left were the green heels from the ball, the ones I was supposed to wear. They were two inches high, and I already trembled with the thought of having to walk around in them. I was tempted, so so tempted to just go barefoot, but well, the Prince had to take a shoe off to put one on, didn't he?

So, after putting on the horrid death traps, I stumbled my way out my room and onto the corridor. (I was going for an angry stomp through the palace and gardens, but I didn't want to add to the risk falling on my face).

I didn't even make it to the end of the corridor when I slammed into someone and fell on my backside. I was paying such meticulous attention to the placement on my feet to ensure I didn't fall, and ended up falling anyway. At least it wasn't on my face. Still, after the terrible morning I had, I couldn't help but sob tears of rage and exasperation.

I put my hands to my face and screamed internally. Was this a sign? Were the forces of the universe telling me that what I was supposed to do was a huge mistake? Amidst my mutterings and sobs, I heard a gentle, "Lady? Lady, are you alright? Lady?"

I hiccuped as I removed the hands on my face and looked up. Staring at me with his blue blue eyes was the Prince himself. And in the corridor, maids and servants stopped in their tracks, as did Lords and Ladies who happened to be walking along.

I stuttered out a hushed, "Yes?"

He gave me a look that said 'play along with me' which quickly turned into a concerned gaze. "Lady, are you well? Forgive me, I was rather hasty and did not see you walking along."

"I— I'm well, thank you. I am not injured," I replied softly, inwardly grimacing at how weak I sounded.

"Nothing is broken then?" he asked, looking me over.

I shook my head and stopped suddenly. "No bones, if that is what you are referring to. However, I could not say the same about my shoe," I said, pointing to the part where the heel had broken off.

He looked at it for a few seconds before stealing a glance down the corridor and looking back at me. "Well, I have an extra shoe with me. Might you wear it as I lead you to your room, where you could get another pair?" he asked, taking my red shoe out of his cloak.

"Forgive me, You Highness, but were you not waiting to return it to its rightful owner?" He stared deep into my eyes (or so our audience would perceive it), and as he slipped the shoe onto my slim foot, he replied, "But you are the rightful owner."

**a/n: I hope you guys like it as much as I do! Please review, if you have the time and like making a girl's day! **


	17. Chapter 17

**a/n: Hellooo-ooo-ooo-ooo*echo*. Is anybody out there, still waiting patiently (or impatiently) to this chapter? If yes, bless your soul and forgive me for taking a loooooong time to post it up! Really, I am sorry for keeping you guys waiting! Life is unfortunately busy for me, and when I do have time, I find myself reading instead of writing down the chapters to this story. But rest assured, I will post more frequently, starting today. (I know, I know, I've promised that before, but this time, I'm really cracking down. Especially since one of my bestest and closest friends has begun reading this and now will no longer leave me alone. You know who you are ;) )**

**So, things are going to get really exciting, but not until the next chapter. Which brings me to my next point. A reviewer commented a bit of a while ago that I should perhaps change the rating to T because of the kisses and the like between Eldon and Elle. I don't think i will write anything that will exceed a PG-13 rating at the most, but if others feel the same way, let me know and I'll change it. (Not that PG-13 movies are particularly safe. The things that those people-who-rate think are now acceptable for 13 year-olds to see is astounding!) Elle and Eldon are going to get married soon, so I suppose it would be better to be safe than sorry...  
**

**I'd like to give a shout-out to all my reviewers! You guys make me feel happy and guilty (for not updating), and I love to know what you think. If i don't respond, please don't mistake that for not caring! I do, I just forget to reply (I'm always reading my emails when I'm at my busiest, for some reason.)! So thank you lots! Thank you also to my readers, this story would be lonesome without you! **

**Disclaimer: Nope, I'm not the super-genius who thought up the story Cinderella, but thanks for mistaking me for one.**

**Enjoy!**

Chapter Seventeen

The shock of the news still hung around the palace, clinging to the aprons of the maids, lingering on the tapestries that decorated the main hallways, and remaining in the tone of voice and faces of its occupants.

Queen Lelane was correct. The common class embraced my engagement to their future king right away, loving the romance and mystery that shrouded our story. The higher class was a bit more difficult, which was understandable since many parents wanted their daughters to be the future Queen of Aberlea, but like the Queen had said, many of them knew and respected me, and warmed up to the idea after a few days.

It took me much longer than a few days to warm up to the idea of being engaged to the future King of the nation. My room looked more like a garden than anything else these days, filled with bouquets of flowers from well-wishers and my "lover" Prince Eldon. The windows had to be open constantly to lessen the scent of flowers that permeated throughout the room, especially once the scent turned sickly sweet on account of all the different scents merging together.

Worse, my entire life was taken over by the engagement. Even though the Royal Children were on "vacation", I could always steal a moment with one of them. I had time to read books I had not read, walk around the elaborate gardens, explore the castle and its hidden rooms (one was behind the painting of Grefan the Greedy drowning in his gold. It wasn't accurate, but highly amusing), or write letters to my family (who were finally returning). But all that was long gone. Now, my days were filled with wedding planning, lunches and picnics with courtiers and many, many, many chaperoned dates with Prince Eldon.

To keep up with appearances, we had to act like we couldn't bear to be too long away from each other, and it was only thanks to my "maiden innocence" that we didn't have to hold hands or hug or kiss or do any other couple-y thing in public. Unfortunately, we were supposed to make up for that on our chaperoned dates. I use the word "chaperoned" loosely, as our chaperones were nosy, busy-body women and old men who allowed us to do as we wanted (were supposed to want) to do in order to have gossip to pass on to the rest of the palace staff. Many of them couldn't believe that I was going to marry the Crown Prince and become the future Queen, and so continued to treat me much in the same manner they always did, to my great pleasure. Those that did believe held me in awe and no longer had normal conversations with me about things like a friend's neighbor's daughter who got pregnant by that friend's cousin's step-uncle, but instead talked about how beautiful I looked and if I would like a lemon water to refresh myself while I sat in the garden.

So there we were, Prince Eldon and I, sitting on a bench in the rose garden, holding hands and smiling behind clenched teeth. This time was different though. We were both tired after long days of putting up a show, dealing with the wedding plans, and other things that came with marrying an heir. So we were quiet for once, not up to continuing with our usual banter.

I was staring up at the sky, absentmindedly picking at my skirt with my free hand. Prince Eldon was staring into a rose as if it contained the deepest secrets of life, but in reality was probably just dozing.

"Do you think this will ever get easier?" I startled out of my reverie, and looked at Prince Eldon, who was looking at me with a questioning gaze.

"Huh?" I replied, ever so articulate. Prince Eldon raised a hand and waved it between the two if us.

"This farce we are putting on, do you think it will ever get easier?" he asked again. His blue eyes darkened with concern, and his black eyebrows knitted together at the middle, showing the first truly genuine emotion I have ever seen on him.

I looked up at the sky again, and over to our elderly chaperone who was sitting under a peach blossom tree a few yards away, drinking a glass of iced lemonade (one of the many perks to being a chaperone, I imagine).

"Well," I said, mulling it over, "I certainly think it will get harder, if not of this, than of other things. We do not know each other, not really, and in less than two weeks, we will undergo the forever-binding and most solemn of all rituals. Not only will we have to live together for the rest of our lives and actually tolerate each other, we will have to run a country meanwhile. I am intelligent, but I was not raised with the understanding of the mechanics on running a kingdom like you were. We will have to learn to work together, and although there have been no problems so far, there will be one somewhere in the future where our differences will be too great for solving it easily.

"What I am trying to say is that, no, I do not think this life we are being forced to live together will ever get easy. But, I am committed to doing the best I can, and can only hope you are to." I gently removed my hand from his, picked up the skirt of my dark blue gown, and walked away, letting him think over the words I spoke and convincing myself that this marriage was not a mistake.

* * *

"Alright Lady Darielle, I need you to breathe in as deep as you can…there you go." Tariana, my own new Lady's Maid, tightened the laces to my corset, giving me little room to breathe. I could only take shallow breaths, and I just knew that the day was going to be long and exhausting.

"Aah Lady, you are a beauty," whispered Tariana, sighing dreamily at my gown.

"Yes well… yes, thank you," I replied, nerves eating away at my stomach and vocal chords. I smoothed down the ivory lace hugging my hips, I twisted my engagement ring round and round my finger, I paced barefoot along the floor of the wide room, I tugged to the end of my sleeve. I looked for something to do, but found nothing to preoccupy my anxious mind.

I was standing in a wide room, the floor made of white oak and the walls a pale yellow. A large window took much of one wall, and across from it were several chairs and a dark red sofa, the only thing with real color in the room. In front of me, a huge, gilded mirror dominated the wall, and through it I was able to see the closed door that two maids stood by.

I took another shallow breath, ignored my reflection in the mirror, and made to sit on the red sofa. "Oh no, Lady!" cried Tariana, "You mustn't take a seat. I just ironed this part of your gown, and it would be terribly creased if you sat down again." I looked at her and nodded mournfully. I had been standing for the past hour or so, and I still had to wait at least two more hours before having the luxury to rest my shaky legs.

I paced to the window again, looking down at the goings on. "Do not worry Lady! This day will be grand and everything you want it to be, just you wait! The Crown Prince must be beside himself with joy, as well he should be!" said Tariana in a soothing tone. She was a pretty thing with blond hair, blue eyes, wide mouth, and long limbs. She was nice enough, but nothing she said would be able to break the tension and disquiet I felt. "Come now, have a proper look at your reflection. Today is your last day as an unattached woman, so you might want to give yourself a long, hard look." Tariana pulled me towards the center of the room, in front of the gilded mirror, and backed away quickly.

I looked at my reflection fearfully, not sure I was ready for what I was to see, and for what it meant.

It was a woman. She was wearing a beautiful gown, ivory white. The design was simple and understated, but oh-so beautiful. The neckline skimmed her pale collar bone, delicate lace sewn along it. The beautiful fabric of the dress, fairy-made with a special sparkle that only fairies know how to make, flowed under the corset to gently rest at her feet. The train was short, extending out for about three feet, and lined with gold and emerald thread in intricate designs. Her sleeves were long, trailing well past her hands and also lined with gold and emerald. Her hair looked especially red, the unruly curls braided and plaited around a tiara of gold that rested on her clear forehead. At the center of the tiara, between and above her eyebrows, hung a small emerald that swayed gently when she moved too fast. Marring the beauty of her gown was a sash made of gold fabric, the sash all Royals wore on State Occasions.

The woman was supposed to be me, but she could no longer be Darielle, step-daughter, step-sister, and tutor, but Darielle, Princess Heir to the Kingdom, the future Queen to Crown Prince Eldon and Aberlea.

I didn't recognize my reflection. I was stuck between this two people, and in less than an hour, I was going to leave behind the person I have been for nearly eighteen years and assume the person I was supposed to be until the day I died. Creasing the back of my gown was the least of my problems.

I looked at my face and tried not to grimace. I was not wearing make-up, and though I am not ugly, I felt that eye-shadow and blush wouldn't go amiss on my pale face. The lack of make-up represented the honesty of my character and the pureness of my intentions for when it came time to run the Kingdom. The irony of the situation didn't escape me, but I _was_ doing this for the best of the kingdom, and if going barefoot and free of make-up to my own wedding assured the people of the duty I felt towards them, then that's how I would go.

I took one last shallow breath and declared my final words as an 'unattached woman':

"I am ready."

**Thank you for reading!**

**Review if you will, please! (Reviews are what keep this story alive and going, even if it's slow-going!)**


	18. Chapter 18

**a****/n: Hello! So I felt incredibly guilty for not updating faster, and as I was sick these past couple of days, I wrote this chapter and decided to upload it today instead of Friday! So here it is, and it's way, way longer, so I hope you guys appreciate that! (and show your appreciation in the form of reviews ;)**

**Disclaimer: A wonderful reviewer told me this was not necessary, and because I agree, I will stop putting this on here! **

**-I would also like to point that, because I updated it so quickly, I may have hurried the editing just a bit. If you see any mistakes, forgive me! Let me know and I'll try to fix them (if they are big mistakes, or really bothersome ones).**

Chapter Eighteen

**Eldon's POV**

I startled awake, and I looked around disoriented. A noise had wakened me, and I was determined to find out what it was. I yawned and closed my eyes again, _perhaps I'll just find out later, _I thought to myself. I was really comfortable, and surprisingly warm. I snuggled back into my pillow and tried to ignore whatever was clenching my arm. _Yes, _I thought hazily, _sleep is good._

My eyes snapped open. Something clenching my arm was definitely abnormal. Cautiously, I looked to where my arm was and immediately cried out in alarm. I jumped and accidentally scrambled too far and landed on the ground.

_There's a woman in my bed! There's a WOMAN in my bed! Okay, okay, think calm thoughts, think calm thoughts. There must be a perfectly logical explanation as to why there is a woman in my bed. _I raised myself enough to peer over the bed at the woman. She was vaguely familiar, and that place that held all information in my brain knew it was someone extremely important, but the haziness I felt suggested I had drunk our finest ale last night.

Red hair. She had long, curly, fire-red hair. If her bare arms and face, peeking from an awful, grandmotherly night gown, were anything to go by, she was light-skinned. She had long eyelashes, a darker color than her hair that rested gently on her face. She had a nice nose, and her lips were curved in the gentle smile of sleep. A name whispered through my mind, and I grasped for it. _Darielle._ Yes, I sighed in relief, of course it's Darielle!

But what was she doing in my bed? And why was I not as shocked as I should be?

I rose and sat on the wide bed, my back to her. I looked around the room in search of some clue to help me out. The room was large and unfamiliar, but the unique insignia engraved on the middle of the floor meant we were still in the palace.

The walls were a light ocean blue, the floor made of some white wood. There were three doors in the room, leading to a bathroom, closet, and antechamber, if my hazy memory was correct. There were glass doors on Darielle's side of the wall that led to a balcony. The bed I sat in was large. The frame was also made of the white wood, and from the canopy hung a sheer, obviously faery-made fabric (it glittered and shimmered like no other fabric). All in all, it was more girlish and to the taste of Darielle than my own.

Darielle made a noise and as I moved my head to look at her I noticed something I hadn't noticed before. A wedding dress was laid carelessly on a chair, but most of it trailed to the ground. A white corset was on the ground a few feet from it, and all around the dress and corset were male clothes, my clothes. On a chair opposite to the one with the wedding dress hung my green tie and beside the corset was my gold vest. My white suit-jacket hung on the chair with the dress, and my white dress shirt was lying on the ground in between one of the doors and the bed.

I winced as the events from the previous day and night flooded into my consciousness. I was married. I was married to Darielle. I was _married_!

I tried to settle my heart, which sped so fast I thought it would jump out my chest. _It's okay, Darielle and I are married and just sharing a bed, no problem. We will be stuck in this room for the rest of the day, possibly even until tomorrow, but things would not be awkward at all, right? It's just a marriage by name we only have to sleep together. But that's it. Mother said we didn't have to, ahem, make children for a few more years yet. We just have to make the appearance of that. Right, so calm down._

I looked out to the glass doors to try and gauge the time. It was still morning, so the maid would be here any minute. Mother did say that the maid would only come in the first morning, unannounced (but under the pretext of bringing breakfast), to verify to the rest of the kingdom that are wedding night was indeed wonderfully spent, after which we would have the rest of the week to ourselves.

Why a maid had to verify was beyond me, and quite humiliating, but I was the Crown Prince, so of course the people would want to know all that about me, and by extension, Darielle.

But how do we get seen in a compromising situation as the maid comes in? I pondered the question for a while, laying back down and closing my eyes in thought.

Darielle shifted a few feet away from me. I opened my eyes to see her fling her arms and legs every which way. All the sheets and blankets had gravitated to her in the course of the night. Her legs were entangled in the blankets, and the sheets were a mess under her torso. I smirked to myself. Perfect Darielle, always orderly and with an answer on her lips for everything, was a very unruly sleeper. Her hair was tangled and fanned out under her head, and I could see the slightest bit of saliva at the corner of her mouth.

My smirk fell off my face as soon as I heard noise outside the bedroom, where I assumed was the outer door to the hallway. I swore under my breath and moved upright. Leaning over, I grabbed Darielle's pale arm.

"Darielle," I whispered urgently, "Darielle! Darielle!" She grunted and rolled over on her side. "Darielle, wake up! Come on, I need you to curl into my chest or something! Darielle!" I shook her harder, but she slept through it. Well, desperate times call for desperate measures, never mind that I'd truly enjoy what was about to take place.

My hands reached for her face as soon as I heard the outer door open, so I may have slapped Darielle a bit harder than my intention, but it did the trick. Her eyes opened wide, looking confused and hurt, "Wha'?" she muttered, a hand reaching to cradle her cheek.

"Quick, wrap your arms around me or something!" I whispered, reaching for her hands. Her green eyes narrowed as she slapped my hands away.

"Now wait just a minute, who do y—mgmph!" I clapped my hand over her mouth, trying to keep her quiet as I heard footsteps in the outer chamber. I was distracted enough that when her pillow smacked across my face, I yelled a tiny bit and let her go. She grinned in triumph, reaching for another pillow. The maid forgotten, I grabbed my own pillow. "You know this means war," I said, swinging my pillow down on her face.

We scuffled for a minute or so, the fight ending with me straddling her waist and holding her hands above her head. She struggled to free herself while I sat back, amused. The shock on our faces when the maid came in were, for once, completely honest.

"Oh!" One of the maid's hands reached up to cover her surprised eyes, the other busy holding up a tray of food. "Please excuse me, Your Highness's! I meant no disrespect. I was told to bring the breakfast in here this morning. I um… I could see you're busy, so I'll just, aah, leave this out here," the maid curtsied and stumbled back out the door, struggling to close it without peeking into the room.

I looked down at Darielle as soon as I heard the outer door close, and grinned at her mortified and absolutely red face. "Well, at least that problem is solved!" I said cheerfully. She glared at me and shoved me off with her newly released arms.

Eh, what did I have to worry about? Marriage with this girl was going to be amusing, at least to me.

**Elle's POV**

My sleep ruined by one Crown Prince Eldon, I headed to the bathroom to rinse my face and wash my hands for breakfast. If I remembered correctly, it would be the first door on the wall in front of the bed. Sure enough, I opened it to see tiled floor, a large bath, a tall table with a basin of water and towels on top of it, and another wooden door that led to the toilet. As I washed my face, I recalled my astonishment from last night.

"_You mean, we actually have a toilet? Not a chamber pot or latrine?" I asked excitedly, standing under the door frame to the bathroom and pointing at the smaller door inside. _

"_Of course," replied Prince Eldon airily from his spot on the wooden chair, "What did you expect? We are the most important Royal's after my parents."_

"_You're so arrogant," I muttered, going in and slamming the door shut. _

"_What did I say?" His muffled voice coming through the door._

The day before had been a long day. The wedding ceremony happened without a hitch, though I had started to feel faint from not being able to breathe deeply. The Crown Prince had also dressed in white, with a golden sash across his chest, as most Royals did for their weddings. Underneath his suit-jacket, he had worn a deep golden vest and an emerald tie. His sleeves were also lined with emerald and gold thread, and on his head rested a golden crown studded with emeralds.

Prince Eldon, to my amusement, had also gone barefoot, and because he was not allowed to put oils into his hair, it flopped in front of his eyes the whole time. His exasperation kept me entertained and distracted enough that the ceremony passed by quicker than I thought it would. He had bestowed a small kiss on my lips when we were made man and wife, had knelt down beside me while I held the Scepter and Crown on my hands during the ceremony that proclaimed me Crown Princess, and had been the one to replace my tiara with a golden circlet.

I buried my face into the towel I was holding and shuddered. It was going to take a long time to get used to being called Crown Princess, although perhaps not as much as being wife (I shuddered again), to Prince Eldon.

It was the celebration of our wedding that I wanted to forget. The corset had done its work in making me beautiful, but it had a humiliating consequence.

_Cheers went up again as Prince Eldon kissed my cheek and waved at the people below, who waved back enthusiastically. The Prince and I were standing on the State Balcony, which was used for occasions such as these. I waved back to the crowd as well, for once grateful for the smaller hand motion that was expected of a Princess. I felt that if I waved any harder, I would lose my breath and die. _

_I snorted softly to myself. I could just imagine the tragedy. "Poor Crown Prince Eldon," the people would say, "he found his love only to lose her on the very day they married!" and a wise woman would perhaps reply. "Yes, how tragic. She was probably so overjoyed that her heart couldn't take it,"_

_I took another shallow breath and tried to keep myself from giggling like mad. I was clearly going delusional. The lack of air was causing my brain to lose its clarity and sanity. _

"_Come along Darielle, we have a party to go to," said the Prince, giving one final wave to the crowd before drawing my away by my elbow. "Are you alright? You look a little peaky. I thought it was just nerves, but now you're starting to sweat and really, you don't look all that happy to be married to me. Which you should be, just so you know." He said matter-of-factly._

_I gave him a look. "I'm fine thank you. And I am not sweating, it's just—" _

To my everlasting dismay, I do believe I fainted then. According to the Prince, I was unconscious for only five minutes, while he, in front of everyone, loosened the laces to my corset and 'breathed life' back into me. Everyone found it incredibly romantic, but I was the one lying on a cushion on the ground with the Prince and all the nobles crowding all around me.

It was just as well that my step-mother was in the kitchens helping Eddy bring in the cake that was their wedding gift for us, and that the twins were distracted by the grand ballroom. We had been away from each other for some time, so they were more protective than usual, especially since I now 'technically' belonged to another family. If they had seen me on the floor, it would not have been a quiet little incident, but a huge, tragic incident that required the best of all medics. As it was, I forbade Prince Eldon, who in turn forbade the Nobles around him, from telling my family what had just happened.

After that, no incidents happened. Prince Eldon and I danced a lot, as we were at our most convincing when we danced.

I did grow rather dizzy towards the end of the night, so much so that Prince Eldon ended up carrying me into our new bedroom suite.

"_I hate corsets," I muttered to him, "My first decree when I eventually become Queen? To ban all corsets from the kingdom, except for when they are in use as a Cruel and Unusual Punishment. The first to be punished so? The people who made those dastardly things popular in the first place!"_

_The Prince grunted in reply, trying to manage the stairs without tripping on my dress. Once he made it clear he asked, "Why not punish the inventors?"_

_I looked at him in surprise, "Well obviously they didn't know what they were unleashing into the world. Their job is to invent. It is the people who decide whether to use their inventions or not." He just nodded in reply, having no more apparent energy to carry me and talk. _

"_Whew," he sighed in relief, "There's the door. Open it will you, Wifey? My hands are full." I opened it and sent him a scathing look. He bent to put me upright, and as I stood, I stomped on his foot. _

"_Call me Wifey again," I warned, walking beyond the anteroom into what I assumed was the bedroom. I walked in and sighed. It was a beautiful room. There were two chairs made of white oak, as were the floor and bed frame. Near the chairs was a mahogany door that contrasted sharply with the rest of the room. A fireplace was beside these, and lit already. Around the pale walls were little niches that held enough candles to make it seem almost like daytime._

"_Stop blocking the doorway, will you?" The Prince gently shoved me to the side and landed on the bed with a flop, not so much as giving the room a cursory glance. "Aah, this is much better!"_

_I decided to ignore him and moved to sit on one of the chairs. I tried to relax as my feet warmed by the fire. The corset was digging into my spine, so I sighed and stood up again to unfasten the laces. I struggled with them for a few minutes before calling Prince Eldon._

"_Hmm?" he asked, not bothering to open his eyes. _

"_Can you unfasten the laces for me? And __just__ the laces." _

"_Why, Darielle, I didn't know you were so eager for me to remove your clothes," he teased, standing up and walking to me. I turned around and crossed my arms, not bothering to reply to that._

"_There," he said, standing back a little and unfastening his tie. While I wiggled out of the corset (and finally taking a deep breath), he shrugged out of his jacket. I gently removed my circlet and placed it on the seat of the chair. Prince Eldon did the same with his crown. _

_I was plaiting my hair, after having unpinned it from its previous hair-style, when he interrupted the silence. "Don't you feel odd? This is just so surreal and weirdly domesticated."_

"_I'm choosing not to over-think it," I replied. "I am tired. I just want to get to bed. Speaking of which, I'm not going to make you sleep on the ground or do something silly like that. We committed ourselves to this marriage, so as long as you don't mind the fact that I'm a restless sleeper, and you keep your hands to yourself—or so help me, I will remove any chance of us having children with a knife— I will let you sleep on the bed with me. But, I call this side of the bed," I said, pointing to the side closest to the balcony doors. _

"_Yes, yes, as you wish," he replied, unbuttoning his shirt. I fled to the closet to finish changing, finding a night gown that was as hideous and perfectly modest as it could get. I was in bed and asleep before the Prince even came out of the bathroom. _

I put the towel back onto the counter, a loud knock jerking me out of my memory. "Darielle, what are you doing in there? Do you want to eat or not?" he asked, shouting through the door.

"I'm coming, I'm coming! Don't you dare touch the toast!"

**a/n: Because I decided to write this, I didn't have time to respond to any reviews. I hope you guys don't mind, I will see if I can reply to all of you sometime this week! I really do appreciate you taking the time to review, and I like to take the time to reply to all of them! **

**Because this one is longer, and updated faster, I hope more of you will review! Like I said, reviews are what keeps this story going! Thanks for reading, I hope you all enjoyed it! **


	19. Author's Note of Repentance and Shame

*stealthily comes out of hiding*

Hey guys! Hehe, I'm really quite embarrassed at myself right now, for not uploading this story and keeping you guys waiting for years. I am terribly sorry! But, I have brought glad tidings! I have come out of hiding and plan on uploading a new chapter sometime next week! I'm also in the process of writing a new story but that won't come out till Elle is finished (which won't be for a while). I hope you guys have mercy on me, these past couple of years have been quite busy, though finishing Elle has always been at the back of my mind.

I have not given up Elle, I just wanted to let you know that I'm still here (my friends thought it would be prudent of me to let you guys know instead of uploading out of the blue). I'm sorry if I disappoint some of you by not uploading a new chapter with this message, but I promise it will come out really soon. My friend will make sure of that (she has threatened me with all sorts of things, so to save my life and dignity, I shall do as she says).

Thank you so much for liking my story and keeping on despite the fact that it's been years since I've been on here, I hope to not disappoint in the future. I have reached beyond the 200 point for reviews, which is HUGE and it's all thanks to you!

See ya guys in a week!

~answersflyonangelwings~


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